Sanity is in Vain
by ladybug888
Summary: Madoka falls for her new friend Shizuo, but when the mysterious informant, Izaya, gets angry at her for stealing everything on his hard drive how will she react to those he sends to harm her? IzayaxOCxShizuo. *being rewritten*
1. Theif

The thudding of her heart in her ears told her that she needed to calm down. He was still chasing after her and she knew he had to be pissed as hell. No one in their right mind ever stole from him, then again she had never had a right mind so she guessed it made since that she stole from him. She eventually calmed herself and focused on the sounds outside of the dumpster she was hiding in, it was silent other than the sound of the trickling rain. She took that as a good sign and hopped out of the dumpster.

"Well, there you are." His voice was like velvet, "I don't like to hit girls but you've made me very angry."

"I don't really want it." She said tossing the flash drive with his entire hard drive on it over to him. He caught it without taking his eyes off of her and then he flashed a smirk that made her skin crawl, "It was all a game; my friends said it was impossible to get anything past you so, I decided I would try to do just that." She smirked at him now as he looked at her blankly, "I have to say I am surprised that you actually were able to keep up with me." Her heart began to pound again but it wasn't because of fear, "I moved to Ikebukuro a few weeks ago and I haven't found anyone that's as clever as you, thanks for the game." It pounded from the excitement she felt pulsing through her from the new game she was about to play, "Oh, and by the way, the name's Madoka."

"Well Doka-chan," he said with an edge to his velvet voice as she walked down the alley, "I hope you know I'll be keeping an eye on you."

"As will I be doing the same to you." She said over her shoulder with her smile stretching from each side of her face. The smile made her look like the mad woman she truly was. The mentally insane weren't meant to escape from the hells their supposedly 'sane' families sent them to. Madoka had escaped from that hellish place and left the place in ruin. Everyone suspected her dead – and by everyone she meant one person – as were all the other _prisoners_, doctors, patrons, and nurses. No one knew who started the fire and no one knew that the warden's daughter even lived in the place. Then again no one knew he had a daughter.

Madoka kept walking until she couldn't feel his eyes on her anymore. She decided she would find her new friend and neighbor.

* * *

><p>"Ah, just who I was looking for!" The overly happy girl said throwing her hand up and snatching the cigarette out of his lips and taking a hit off it.<p>

"Madoka-san what are you doing?" The bartender clad debt collector said to the young woman.

"Talking to you of course Shizuo-kun!" she said after blowing the smoke into his face. Her breath was minty behind the cigarette smell. She reached up and stuck the cigarette back between his lips as he tried not to smile.

Shizuo remembered meeting her for the first time and her doing that. He nearly threw a trash bin at her but she had calmly and friendlily walked up and poked him in the chest and smiled at him saying, "Haha, your funny Bartender-kun!" she had stuck the cigarette back into his mouth and smiled happily up at him. She wasn't in the least frightened of him and she didn't even seem to notice that he had unusual strength. That had been weeks ago and she still seemed to find him when he was between an angry mood and a calm one. She usually tipped the balance to the calm side despite her seemingly annoying personality.

"Besides that silly." He said reaching down and messing up her chocolate colored hair.

"Well I just got back from Shinjuku." She said with a smile, "You'll never guess what I did!"

"What?" he asked and she smiled as she spun around and walked in front of him rather than beside him.

"I went to this info broker's place and kidnapped his hard dive!" she said dangling a flash dive on a chain around her neck, "I put it on two flash drives and he actually thought I only had it on one." She pouted sadly, "I gave him my other 256 GB flash drive and I still had things on there that I…" she looked up at Shizuo's angered face and blinked a few times before cheerfully saying, "… Oh so he's the infamous 'flea' you spoke of."

"Uh huh," He grumbled at her, "stay away from him."

"I'll try my damnedest to!" she said smiling happily up at him.

"Why'd you steal his hard drive for anyway?" Shizuo asked her as he pulled out a fresh cigarette since he had broken the other one when she spoke of the flea.

"Boredom mostly." She said with a shrug as she spun into step beside him, "I also heard that it was nearly impossible to troll him and I just wanted to see if I could be the exception to that."

"Yeah, I'd say you sure as hell have him a run for his money." Shizuo said and she laughed.

"And yet he still didn't come out on top." She said to him as she smiled up at him, "Hey, what cha doing out and about anyway?"

"I'm meeting up with my coworker before we go to work." He said after rolling his eyes at her annoying curiousness.

"I'm on my way to work too." She said and then silence fell between the two. It was enjoyable and unusual for the chatter box of a girl walking next to Shizuo. He glanced over at her after awhile and noticed that she had a rather distracted expression written across her features. He wondered what could be on her mind. He knew very little about her and she knew little about him but there was something about the girl that seemed familiar and comforting to Shizuo. It could've been that her bubbly personality reminded him of Shinra but he felt like that wasn't it.

"Yo, Shizuo!" Tom called from across the street and the blonde man glanced up at his friend and nodded in acknowledgement.

"See you later…" Shizuo looked over and realized that Madoka had kept walking rather than stopping when he did. Shizuo didn't mind but he knew something was on the young girl's mind that was distracting her.

* * *

><p>Madoka said goodbye to Simon like she did every night when she left work. She had to act normal there (so she did frighten away the customers,) but when she was out on the streets she could be herself.<p>

She enjoyed being in the company of the manga obsessed Erika and Walker when Kyohei brought his gang in for dinner every night, but she still didn't let her full control go. She wanted to say off the wall things like she always did with Shizuo but not at work. She had to keep this job no matter what. She would serve people their drinks and food there and sometimes pass out flyers outside. It was boring but it put money in her pocket. That was all that mattered.

She had to make money to pay for her rent, internet access, electricity, and food. That pretty much took everything she had and she rarely was able to buy new clothes. She only had the ones she stole from the asylum before it went up in smoke. She knew that the clothes were what many of the patients had been brought in wearing but they were clothes, and the ones that fit weren't too bad. Some were baggy and some were tight but she still liked her wardrobe.

The best thing about the asylum, she guessed, was that they only took in insane teens so everyone there had been close to her age, and the clothes weren't 'out of style' well, most of them anyway. It helped her fit in with the world. She needed to fit, although, she didn't necessarily want to fit in.

Madoka was happy when she got home to her apartment next to Shizuo's. She unlocked her door and flipped on the lights. It was sparsely decorated but there was a fridge, table with two chairs, a really nice sofa she had found out behind some apartment building, and she had a bed. It was more than she had ever had growing up and she was happy to have it. The other thing she loved was that laptop she had swiped before she had set fire to every exit in the entire asylum.

"_Ah, the wonders of Chloroform and the help of a few suicidal teenagers!" _The thought made her shudder as she remembered taking out each and every one of those doctor, patrons, and nurses. It had been easier than she thought it would be, but it was horrifying when the patients who hadn't wanted to die began to jump from the only place they could go.

Madoka shook the thought from her head and went to her bedroom. She curled up into a warm ball and went to sleep. She hoped for sweet dreams but she knew it was in vain.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>I made this out of a sudden explosion of inspiration and I'd really like to know if you like it? Also I want my readers votes as to who you want her to be with. Madoka-chan x Shizuo-kun or Izaya x Doka-chan. Also I'm not sure if strealing someone's hard drive is considered as trolling, but then again I'm not sure what trolling is exactly. Anyone care to explain? (I know I feel so dim minded for asking but I'd rather ask than not know) Anyway... Ladybug out~!


	2. Nightmare

_Their bodies just kept coming. The fire alarm released the locks on the patients' doors and since every exit was in flames they had nowhere to go but up. Flaming bodies falling from the roof, some of them were impaling themselves on the rod iron fence around the asylum, and others just smacking the ground with a deafening thud. Some of them were probably dead before they hit the ground since almost all of them were on fire. It was a sickening sight, and those screams it was horrible._

* * *

><p>Madoka sat up as a scream erupted from her throat. She felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks and her heart pounding against her chest just like when she had been watching that reoccurring nightmare that night. A pounding on her door gave her reason to get out of bed.<p>

"Shizuo-kun?" she said looking up at the blonde man who had obviously gotten home early from work since he usually wasn't home when she woke up screaming.

"Are you okay I heard screaming coming from here?" he said to her with worry etched into his face.

"I… I'm just I had a nightmare." She said sweetly to him, "I have one every night but I guess this is the first time you've ever been home when I had one huh?"

"You – you wake up screaming like that _every_ night?" he tipped over his words when she chattered that out.

"Yes." She said simply, "You aren't mad are you? I'm sorry if I woke you!"

"No, no," he said worry still written on his face, "It's just that most people don't wake up screaming every night."

"I'm not most people." She said to him bluntly.

"I know but… why do you wake up screaming?" he asked and she blinked up at the tall man and then lowered her eyes to his chest. She just stared straight ahead as she tried to think of something coherent that would make him understand why she woke up screaming, "I'm sorry I didn't meant to…"

* * *

><p>Shizuo looked down at the girl in front of him. He knew something was a bit off with her from the moment they had met but he knew she wasn't a bad person. The feeling he was getting from her at the moment was unnerving. It was like sadness, sorrow, and something that was close to malice but not quiet. He didn't feel like the malice like emotion was directed at him so he continued to stare down at the girl that was staring straight forward at his chest.<p>

"I can't tell you why." She said at last and then looked up at him, "I trust you but I don't want to tell you that and cause you to run away from me," she smiled a little as more tears came to her eyes, "Heck for all I know I may have just done that by saying just that."

Shizuo only felt sadness coming from the girl and he felt sorry for her. He had no idea what could've happened to her but she was a happy, cheerful, and sweet person, a little over zealous at times but nevertheless she was nice to Shizuo.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said to her as he reached down and ruffled her already messed up bed head hair. She surprised him by hugging him around the barrel of his chest. It was strange but Shizuo felt good to have contact from another person. He hadn't felt a hug from another person in years. The contact was overwhelming but he unconsciously put his arms around her and hugged her back.

"Thank you Shizuo-kun." She said to him and he was suddenly aware of her looking up at him, "You're a really good friend."

"W-what are friends for?" he said smiling down at her.

* * *

><p>Izaya was beyond furious at the girl who though she could get away with swiping his hard drive. <em>"I'll make her pay for that,"<em> Izaya thought as he entered his loft and looked around. Namie should have been here to stop that little brat from doing that to his computer!

"Hmmm!" The sound of a muffled cry caught his attention. It was coming from up his stairs which was strange. He went up the stairs with his flick blade already drawn. "Muhhhh!" he opened the door to his bedroom slowly and peeked in to see Namie. She was gagged and bound on his bed and she looked positively infuriated. Izaya couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight of her hands and feet tied together behind her back. It was just too much for the info broker.

"Hold on Namie," he said walking over to the angry woman and in one fluid motion cut the ropes in one place and her arms and legs fell free, "What happened?"

"I don't fucking know!" She shouted at him and he smiled at her, "Stop fucking smiling like that you worthless psychopath!"

"Someone came up behind you and smothered you with a Chloroform soaked rag didn't they?" he said to her and she blinked at him for a second.

"You didn't have anything to with did you?" she said with acid dripping from her words.

"No, I actually got robbed by this girl but I'm not too worried." He said smugly, "I got what I wanted from her, and so much more."

He dangled the flash drive in front of her face. It was a pretty red color and it was enormous for a flash drive. Izaya wondered how many GBs it had, since the lettering had faded away on it and he couldn't tell what it said on the side but on the other side it said Madoka in crude hand writing.

"Madoka?" Namie said reading the side of the flash drive, "Is that the name of the girl that you spoke of?"

Izaya was too furious to speak so he merely nodded. He couldn't remember the last time he was this angry. He wanted to make this girl pay for messing with him. He was Orihara Izaya, and no one ever messed with him.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>I would really like to have some reviews on this one. Does anyone want to vote on whether she should get with Izaya or Shizuo? Hello? She's friends with Shizuo at the moment and Izaya... sorta hates I guess. I mean, who wouldn't be peeved if someone swiped their entire hard drive? I know I would be freaking out! "Oh Dear! Don't let them steal my ideas for Durarara fanfics!" That's what would be running through my mind... such a dork right? Anyway review and tell me if I got Izaya or Shizuo right or not? Please? *Begs on knees for reviews and crys silently* So... Ladybug out~!


	3. Nervous

Madoka smiled as she reread the last stanza of his poem. It said, "Never knowing what true loneliness is," it was obviously about his twin sisters. She had met the Orihara twins once when she was out chatting with Shizuo. It was funny how their older brother resented them for having each other, while he had no one.

She understood the pain of loneliness better than most, after all, what one would feel after being locked in a basement for almost their entire childhood? No one would've guessed that Orihara Izaya had a thing for writing poetry though. He was good too actually. She kept looking through his folded that was titled 'miscellaneous' and finding things like, lists of favorite songs, pictures of random people and things that even made her smile, poetry, half written suicide notes, and one thing that had a lock on it.

Three hours of her time was spent on trying to crack the code so she could open it. She had tried his name, his sisters' names, tried them all backwards, and tried his number that she got from Kyohei, tried the name of his secretary and so much more. It was horrible, or at least it was to her, when she couldn't get the code. She sighed and decided she would try again later. It was about time she got ready for the day.

* * *

><p>Shizuo stood off to the side listening as Tom talked to a client that was actually paying. It was the first time in a long time they had actually gotten a client that was an honest as this guy. He was still nervous because of Shizuo being nearby, so instead of scaring the poor man to death Shizuo told Tom he was going to go over to the park and wait until he was done with the man.<p>

"Shizuo-kun!" Madoka said cheerfully as she walked over to him once he reached the park. He smiled down at the small young woman. He felt nervous being around her and he wasn't quite sure why, he'd always been nervous around women but not this nervous.

"Hey Madoka-san, what are you up to?" he asked and then immediately regretted it as her face dropped.

"Taking a frustrated walk around the damn block." She grumbled and then kicked a rock and decided to stare at her boots.

"The one time I'm in a good mood and you're in a bad one you find me." Shizuo chuckled to himself and she blinked up at the sound.

"Uh, I'll see you later then…" she said turning around and starting to walk away.

"Hey wait," he said surprised by her actions, "if you want to talk about why you're in such a foul mood I'm willing to listen."

"There's a lock on one of the documents I swiped and I can't figure out the code." She said turning around.

"You're actually reading through his stuff?" Shizuo said with disgust in his voice.

"After all the trouble I went through to get his hard drive, of course I'm reading it!" she exclaimed with slight anger.

"I don't get why you even wanted to mess with him." He said to her and she sighed.

"Don't you ever do things just for the hell of it?" she asked him sincerely.

"Not really…" he said and she sighed.

"Do you ever have any fun?" she asked him and he shook his head, "I've seriously got to do something crazy with you." She said smiling and he blinked at her in confusion.

"_What the hell does she mean by that?"_ Shizuo thought to himself almost worried by the tone of her voice.

"Oh god that sounded so wrong…" she said blushing at her own words, "… I meant that as in, like, silly."

"_Well that's a relief."_ He thought and then said, "That's what I thought."

"Yo," Shizuo looked up to see Tom walking towards them, "hey I haven't seen you around before."

"I just moved to 'Bukuro recently." She said to him cheerfully.

"Bitch!" Madoka looked up in time to see a girl running towards her fists swinging. With an emotionless and calm face she grabbed one of the girl's arms and popped it out of joint. The girl screamed and fell to the ground as a boy ran over yelling at the girl asking why she had done that.

"Child do you have a death wish?" Madoka's voice was deathly serious.

"No, no, she's just –" He blinked up and saw Shizuo and Tom standing there staring at them, "– I'm s-sorry sh-she won't d-do it again."

"Kida Masaomi," she said cocking her head to the side and then looking at the girl on the ground, "and Mikajima Saki… Did Orihara Izaya put you up to that?"

"Saki-chan I thought I told you to stop listening to him." Masaomi said to her with a sigh.

"Mikajima-san I'm sorry I popped you shoulder out of joint, will you let me fix it?" she asked her as she dropped down to her knees beside the crying girl.

Saki blinked over at her and Madoka smiled gently at her. She nodded and Madoka took the girl's arm, "This is going to hurt." And with that she popped her arm back into place, "Sorry." Madoka stood up with a solemn expression on her face and watched as the two teens walked away.

"Anyway," she turned to Tom with a smile as her mood did a complete three-sixty, "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." He said slightly taken back by her personality shift.

"How'd you do that?" Shizuo asked her and she blinked at him, "I mean how'd you tell that the Flea was the one that –"

"I read a file he had on the two of them." She said to him.

"Oh, that makes since." He nodded to himself.

"Well I've got to go see someone so I'll see you around Shizuo-kun," she said and then turned to his friend, "It was nice to meet you, Tanaka-san."

She walked away from them and once she had vanished into a crowd of people Tom turned to Shizuo.

"She knew my name without me telling her…" Tom mumbled and Shizuo laughed nervously.

"I may have mentioned you a few times to her but I didn't think…" And then it hit him. Izaya must have had a file on Tom as well. He wondered if there was a file on him but shuddered at the thought of all the horrible things Izaya would likely write about him.

"So she's your friend?" Tom inquired and Shizuo nodded.

"She's my neighbor too," he said to him, "I've never seen her fight someone."

"She's kind of cute." Tom said with a smile and Shizuo blinked at him.

"Huh?" But Tom was already walking away before he even heard Shizuo's mumble. Shizuo had never really thought about it before, but Madoka was an attractive woman. He shook his head and ran over to his co-worker before he lost him in the crowded streets.

* * *

><p>Izaya sat at his desk typing away with a smirk on his lips as he replied back to Masaomi's e-mail. Saki had done just as he thought she would do but Madoka's reaction had been a wonderful surprise. He told Masaomi he would pay for any medical treatment her shoulder may have needed.<p>

"Do you not feel any pity at all for your pawns?" Izaya nearly jumped out of his skin at those words. He had sent Namie away over an hour ago and thought he was completely alone. Izaya stood up and stared at the girl until he trusted his voice enough to speak.

"Why are you here? Are you going to steal my hard drive again?" he asked and she smiled darkly at him.

"You know, I really don't like hurting people." She smiled but narrowed her eyes at him in an attempt at being intimidating and to any other human it would have worked but on Orihara Izaya it only made her more interesting, "Especially naïve little kids that think a monster is they're only friend."

"Well your one to talk." He said with a laugh, "Isn't Shizu-chan your friend?"

"Hmm? Shizuo? A monster?" she began to laugh at him. Her reaction wasn't one he expected and it frustrated him. He thought that perhaps she was just like Shinra or maybe Shizuo was he doubted that she was as brainless as that protozoan. "He's the gentlest person I know, how can he be considered a monster?"

"Haven't you ever seen him snap on someone?" he asked her and she shrugged.

"Everyone snaps sometimes, after all he's only human." She said with a knowing smile.

"No. He isn't human." Izaya said and she cocked a brow at him.

"And what gives you the right to deem him as a non-human?" Izaya blinked at her question, for once unsure how to answer, "Anyway enough idle chitchat." And with those words she moved.

Before Izaya even knew what was happening she had grabbed his arm and popped his shoulder out of joint. He gasped at the pain but more at the shock of just how fast Madoka had moved. She stepped away from him quickly and smiled happily at him.

"Who are you?" Izaya asked her as he held his arm in shock.

"Haven't I already told you?" she said to him sweetly, "My name is Madoka."

"I can't –" she cut off his words by moving faster than he thought she could and covering his mouth with her hand.

"Listen to me Orihara," she her voice was pitying and almost gentle, "If you send another pawn to me to fight I'll come and find you and do everything I had to do to them to you, do I make myself clear?"

Izaya licked her palm and she moved her hand away and wiped his saliva on his hurt shoulder which made him flinch but he smiled anyway. She still didn't move away from him or any closer.

"And what if I fight you myself?" he asked and she smiled at him gently.

"Why do we have to fight?" she asked him and he blinked at her, "Why not talk this out like adults?"

"That's no fun." He said and she laughed.

"I just had a very similar conversation with Shizuo-kun like this." She said to him and his eye twitched, "Anyway I'll see you around."

"You're just going to leave me like this?" he asked her as she stepped away from him and turned around, "You popped Saki's shoulder back in place."

"You deserve the pa…" she paused as she looked over her shoulder at him and then sighed, "… fine."

Madoka wasn't sure what annoyed her most. The fact that she liked the way his lips felt when she touched them, the way her heart rate went up when she looked into his red eyes, or the way she couldn't be cruel to him even though she wanted to. She figured he made her nervous. He should after all, he was probably stronger than her, and she had stolen from him. She had obviously pissed him off.

"Ah!" he cried out involuntarily when she popped his should back in place, "A warning would've been nice."

"Whatever." She said turning away from him to finally take her leave, but he grabbed her wrist to stop her, "What do you want now?"

"Was that the only reason you came here?" he asked her and she nodded but he still didn't let go, "Why can't I find anything on you?"

"Because I'm not supposed to exist." Madoka said pulled her wrist out of his grasp.

"Will you tell me about yourself then?" he asked following her to the door.

"Only if you tell me about you." She said turning around and smiling, "Might I add I can tell when someone is lying to me."

"Why do you want to know anything about me?" he asked and she smiled.

"I don't know yet." She answered honestly, "Does anything make you nervous?"

"I didn't agree to –"

"Well then we have nothing to discuss, goodbye." She opened the door to his loft and walked out. It was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders once she was away from him. That wasn't something she was used to; people didn't have this effect on her. Izaya unnerved her but she didn't understand why, so she shrugged it off and went home.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>So... I have no reviews on this... It's so sad! I still want to keep writing on this one though and I really hope you all (Whoever you are that are reading this) add to alert or something! Also I'm letting my readers decide on who they want Madoka to end up with~! Shizuo-kun or Izaya-kun~? You can vote more than once! IDC! Just let me know if you like this or not! And also am I getting Izaya's personality right? I'm usually not very good at it but... I'm trying... I think that's why I right fro him so much, I'm trying to get him right~! Anyway here's what you've all been waiting for... Ladybug out~!


	4. Friendship?

It was cold out when she finally got off work and she wished she had a jacket or a hoodie at least, but wishing would get her nowhere. Madoka pulled her hair out of the bun she had had it in for work and her chocolate hair fell around her shoulders. Her hair kept her ears and neck warm as she continued down the street. It had been a few weeks since Saki had tried to fight her on Izaya's behalf and nothing too unusual had happened since then.

"Hey Madoka-san!" Saburo said from the front seat of his van.

"Oh, hey, Saburo-san." She said to him with a smile.

"Hey do you need a ride?" Kyohei asked from the other side of him.

"Hey Kyohei, uh, thanks but I don't really live too far from here." She told him with a smile.

"Oh come on!" Erika said as she stuck her head out the window and then Walker did.

"Yeah we don't bite!" Walker told her that, "Well, not much anyway!"

"I'm sorry but I really want to see if I'll run into my friend." Madoka told them with an apologetic smile.

"Eww! Whose your friend?" Erika squealed enthusiastically.

"Not that kind of friend Erika-san, he's just my neighbor." She said while waving her hands in front of her but laughing incredulously at her accusation.

"Really? So, who is he anyway? Is he some kind of Otaku fan boy?" Erika asked as he eyes lit up with possibilities.

"Shizuo-kun?" Madoka said with a laugh, "I don't think he's into anime or manga."

"Shizuo-san?" Kyohei said around Saburo, "How's he doing?"

"The last I saw him he was fighting with someone but I'm sure he's fine now." She told him with a shrug.

"Doesn't he ever scare you?" Kyohei asked her and she blinked at him.

"Why would he scare me?" she asked him, "Why does everyone seem to think he's a bad guy? He's not."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Kyohei said to the girl who was now glaring at him with what seemed like the intent to cause him bodily harm.

"Aw you like him don't you!" Erika said with a smile, "That's so cute!"

"No, I'd probably react that way if anyone said something rude about any of my friends." She said then sighed, "Anyway I'll see you guys around."

The group said their goodbyes to her and she went on her way. She felt so irritated that she walked past Shizuo on the way up to her apartment and she didn't even notice him. He could almost see the anger radiating off of her as she went up the steps. Shizuo turned around, reached out and grabbed her shoulder and then she turned around and snapped at him.

"What?" She snarled and then she saw Shizuo's face, "Oh! Shizuo-kun! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to yell at you…"

"What's wrong? You look, well, pissed off." He said with a chuckle to himself. He really was in a good mood whenever she was unhappy. He wondered if it was like that for her.

"…" she opened her mouth and then closed it. Ever since Izaya had said Shizuo was a monster she had heard people at Russia Sushi saying that, they had probably talked about him before, it was just that she wasn't listening. It really upset her though; especially that Kyohei had asked if she was afraid of him. She didn't see what there was to be scared of; Shizuo was the nicest guy she'd ever met. "… People keep talking shit about my friend and it makes me mad… I just…" with every word she lowered her eyes to the ground until she was just staring at the floor between them. "… I don't like hearing things about my friends."

"If you don't mind me asking who is this friend?" Shizuo said after a moment of silence. She peeked up at him and then shifted her feet as if she felt uncomfortable. Shizuo took her silence for her unwillingness to say who her friend was. "Listen, everyone has their own opinion about everything and not everyone's opinion is going to be a positive one so ignore the bad things people say about your friend and keep believing what you believe about this friend."

"But you're not a monster!" she said to him and he blinked at her, "Why does everyone say that lie? It just pisses me off!"

"I am a monster Madoka-san." He said and she just stared at him like he had just spit in her face.

"No… you're not…" she said to him and she shrugged his hand off her shoulder and rushed up the stairs. Shizuo sighed and would've gone after her but he needed to go to work so he left her to herself to think.

* * *

><p>Madoka wasn't sure why she cried because he agreed with all those horrible people. It really did upset her that he thought of himself as a monster. She didn't see what was so monstrous about him. She didn't see the man that was hiding in the darkness just outside of her apartment door.<p>

Rubbing the tears out of her eyes she reached for the key in her pocket and then she saw him. He had the element of surprise but she had faster reflexes, and the uncanny knowledge of pressure points of the human body came in handy when she hit him. He was on the ground but he wasn't unconscious.

"Well, hello there." She said coldly to him as she stepped on his chest, "Is there any particular reason why you decided to attack me?"

"This info broker said that you were the strongest man in Ikebukuro's girlfriend…" He said to and she sighed, "… I was going to hold you captive until Heiwajima publicly let me fight him and win."

"Well let me tell you a few things," she said to him, "First off, Orihara lied about me being his girlfriend, second, I'm Shizuo-san's neighbor and friend, and third you should really find something better to do than fight with Shizuo, he might be strong but he's not a tough guy, he's nice."

"Wha-what?" the guy said and she sighed but then smiled darkly down at him.

"Lights out." And with that she kicked him in the head and he was out cold. She smiled once again to herself as she thought about the next visit she was going to pay to Orihara Izaya.

* * *

><p>Izaya gaped at what he had just seen as he hid in the shadows. The guy he had told that she was dating Shizuo was lying flat on his back and from the look of things she had just knocked him out. She smiled evilly and then looked up in his direction and her smile seemed to widen. He knew she couldn't see him but his heart still beat faster, but he wasn't afraid of her. If anything he was fascinated by her. He couldn't figure her out and he couldn't find anything on her.<p>

"I can feel you watching me." she said to him as she stared into the darkness that was down the hall, "Why don't you come out."

She waited a moment and then walked towards him. Izaya could feel his heart rate beat faster with every step she took but then she stopped right outside of the shadows as if it were a barrier. Madoka stared right at him and he knew she could see his outline from this distance but her eyes hadn't adjusted yet. She smiled and laughed a little to herself as she looked at him.

"Izaya-san why are you hiding from me?" she asked as her smile turned dark, "You know you can't hide from me."

"Doka-chan I'm sorry but I just wanted to see what you were really capable of." Izaya finally spoke to her and she frowned.

"Izaya-san why do you taunt me with these violent people?" she asked him and he laughed.

"Your closest friend is a pretty violent monster if I do say so myself." Izaya said and she glared at him coldly.

"Stop calling him that." She growled at him and he smirked.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" he asked with mirth in his tone.

"Will you come out of there already?" She asked him and he laughed.

"Not with the way you're avoiding coming into the darkness." He said to her and then realized that made him sound like he was avoiding her, "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Are you afraid of me?" she asked without missing a beat.

"Do you always answer a question with a question?" he asked her and she laughed.

"Do you?" she said with a smile. Izaya was beginning to get frustrated with her but he was curious about her. "No, I'm not afraid of the dark, I just can't see well without some kind of light."

"Prove it." He said and she walked into the darkness and right up to him. She was fast and he hadn't expected her to walk right up to him and get close to his face.

"How is this for proving it…?" she whispered to him and his heart started to beat faster, "… So, are you afraid of me?"

"No, why should I be?" he asked her and he could hear her smile from how close she was to his face.

"I made a copy of your hard drive." She said to him and for a moment Izaya thought his heart stopped beating, "You write good poetry. You want to read some of mine?"

"What?" he said to her.

"Do you want to read some of my poetry?" she asked him and he shook his head.

"No I mean –"

"I won't tell anyone anything I've read." She said to him, "Actually I kind of feel sorry for you." Izaya didn't say and thing to that so she went on, "You seem lonely, I understand what that's like, so, I'm willing to offer you friendship." She said and when he said nothing she sighed, "Izaya-san, do you want to be my friend?"

"Why would I want to be your friend after you stole from me _and_ lied?" he asked her and she was silent for a moment.

"I wouldn't want to be my friend either," she said and then he heard her swallow nervously, "But I'm determined to be your friend even if I have to walk to Shinjuku everyday just to torment you."

"_Why do I get the feel that she really will do that?"_ Izaya thought to himself but stayed silent.

"You'll come around eventually Izaya-kun!" she said suddenly cheerful to him and then she did something Izaya hadn't expected at all. She closed the space between them and gave him and tight hug. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt someone close to him before. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had _wanted_ to get that close to him. This time he really felt like his heart stopped and then when she pulled away from him with a cheery smile his heart kicked into overdrive and slammed against his ribcage. "I'll see you later Izaya-kun."

Izaya wasn't sure how long he stood there even after she had stepped over the unconscious man and went into her apartment. When he did finally leave that spot his knees felt weird but he ignored it and went back home. Back to his lonely little loft in Shinjuku.i thi

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>Yeah... So... Izaya is confused about his reactions to her... Shizuo is oblivious... and I'm tired... I think that about sums it up... Vote on who you think she should be with... review, pm, alert, favorite, all that jazz... Ladybug... out... ZzzZzzZzzZzz... *passes out*


	5. Unnatural Pounding of the Heart

Izaya didn't even bother to glance at the door when it opened and Madoka came in. Namie had the day off and he was making up more work for her in his usual cruel mindset. Madoka walked right up to his desk and sat down on the edge and looked at his computer screen.

"That's kind of cruel." She said and he jumped.

"Waah!" Izaya slid back and put his hand on his pounding heart, "Can't you knock or something!"

"I will next time then." She said to him with a smile and he sighed.

"You can't sneak up on people like that; you'll give them a heart attack." He said to her and she shrugged.

"Aw I'm sorry I scared you Izaya-kun." She said pouting at him.

"My desk isn't a chair either." He said glaring at her as he noticed she was sitting on his desk.

"But it makes a nice perch." She said to him and then leaned forward to read what he was writing on the computer.

"Stop reading that." He said minimizing the screen she had started to read.

"Your secretary must really be a patient woman from all the things that happen to her because of you." She said to him with a cheerful smile.

"How do I make you leave me alone?" He asked her as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"You brought this on yourself by sending two of your pawns to fight me." She said with a dark smile, "I figured beating the crap out of you like I did them really wasn't cutting it."

"So you're not actually trying to be my friend?" he asked her and she shrugged.

"It's up to you whether or not we become friends but my main goal is to quill my boredom." Her voice was devoid of emotion and then she smiled, "I really do want to be your friend though."

"I don't need any friends." He told her and then turned back to his computer.

"From the things I've read on your hard drive I think you want a friend." She said to him, "Come on Izaya-kun," she said in a teasing voice as she put her feet on the ground and walked around his desk, "you can't deny that." She slid around so that she was sitting on the edge of his desk right next to him. Izaya closed his eyes and sighed.

"I might want one but that doesn't mean I need one." He said and she smiled.

"Why deny yourself companionship Izaya-kun?" she asked him as she cocked her head to the side but watched him very closely, "Why deny yourself anything if you don't have to?"

"I don't have time for a friend." He said to her as he typed something, "I have too much work to hang out with anyone."

"We're hanging out right now, so why not be friends then?" she asked him again, "You're not afraid to open up are you?"

"Will you just go home?" Izaya snapped at her and she smiled gently down at him.

"So you don't like to open up huh?" she said to him with sympathy in her eyes and a sweet smile on her lips, "I know how you feel I don't like to talk about myself either."

"Why?" he asked her and she smiled.

"If I tell you why I don't like to will you tell me why you don't like to?" she asked him and he sighed.

"I'll think about it." He said to her.

"I didn't have a normal life up until I came to Ikebukuro." She told him softly, "There's a lot of things I missed out on as a kid because of where I grew up and stuff…" she looked at her feet, "… I think I said too much."

"I don't think you said enough." He told her and she smiled and looked over at him.

"So, will you tell me why you don't want to open up?" she asked him with pleading eyes.

"I'm…" Izaya shook his head, more at himself than anything. He didn't want anyone to see the real him that was hiding underneath it all. He didn't them to see it and run away from him, but… she seemed so oblivious to anything that seemed, out of place, or unusual. Honestly she reminded him of himself as a child before he became obsessed with humans. She was so innocent and gentle at times, but as he thought about it he wouldn't have been able to fight anyone like she could as a child, she was like him as a child but with his fighting skills as an adult. "… I'm sorry but I don't feel like talking about that just yet."

"But you will tell me?" she said with a light of hope in her eyes.

"Maybe." He said and she shrugged indifferently but smiled anyway, "So what are some of the things you missed out on as a kid?"

"I don't know I was thirteen when I saw another person besides my father for the first time in my life." She said to him, "You tell me some of the things you did as a kid and I'll tell you if I never got to do them."

"Uh…" he blinked at her and then turned to his computer and began to type, "… school?"

"I never went to school but my father taught me how to read and write." She told him with a smile, "What was school like for you?"

"I was a nerd and used –"

"What's a nerd?" she asked and he looked up at her from his typing.

"Someone that actually likes to learn and stuff," he said a little surprised at her question, "anyway I got picked on but not that much since I was also a jock."

"What's a jock?" she asked him and he sighed.

"Someone that's into sports." He told her, "Did you ever play games like hide and go seek?"

"I did when I was thirteen, we also played hopscotch and the 'I see a color you don't see' game." She laughed at the last part, "That game was more for passing time than anything."

"Those are a bunch of little kid games." He said to her and she shrugged.

"I told you nothing was normal for me up until recently." She said smiling down at him.

"I was in middle school when I was thirteen." He said to her, "hmm, I think I was still a nerd back then."

"When did you lose your… nerdiness?" she asked him and he laughed.

"I... I stabbed my friend with knife." He lied with a smile. Shinra had actually kept him from getting stabbed but they had lied and said it was Izaya so that Izaya could blackmail Nakura.

"You just lied to me." She said to his surprise, "What really happened?"

"The guy was going to stab me but my friend got in the way and we both lied and said that it was me." Izaya figured telling her that much wouldn't really hurt much.

"And from doing that you got a reputation as a tough guy, right?" she said and he nodded as he watched his computer screen and then sighed. He officially didn't have anything else to do and he knew he couldn't get rid of her. Namie had e-mailed him that she had 'accidently' rescheduled his appointments for today for tomorrow and something else about him needing to take a day off. It was uncharacteristically nice of her to go out of her way to do that for him, either that or something about him mentioning Madoka wanting to be his friend had done this. Namie was probably doing this to be cruel.

"Well, I don't have anything else to do…" he said and then spun around and faced her, "… what do you want to do?"

"Wait, are you actually going to try to be friends?" she asked him with a smile.

"I guess…" he said and then she did it again. That sickeningly sweet hug of hers and now she was sitting on his lap with her arms around the barrel of his chest and her long chocolate hair smacking him in the face. "Stop hugging me." Izaya felt annoyed at her but she pulled away but still sat on his lap smiling happily. He hated the reaction his heart had every time she got close to him and what annoyed him even more was the fact that he was too much a gentleman to push her off his lap. "Off. Now." He growled and she hopped to her feet happily.

"You know your lap was way~ more comfortable than your desk." She said to him and he mentally kicked himself for smiling involuntarily, "Ha, Shizuo-kun would have turned into a tomato-face at that."

"You sat on Shizu-chan's lap before?" Izaya asked her and she laughed.

"No but he actually hugs back." She pouted when she said that and Izaya rolled his eyes.

"I don't particularly like to be hugged." He said to her and she smiled.

"I was never hugged as a child but I had this friend that used to cry a lot because she was younger than the rest of us so I would sit and hold her while she cried." She said to him and then shrugged, "I used to hate it but, not so much now…"

"How old was she?" Izaya asked her and she shrugged.

"Younger than most of the other kids there, I think she was six or seven." She said as her face saddened, "One of the older kids flipped out and she got in the way… she didn't make it."

"That's a pity." Izaya said with a laugh and she stared at him. A dark smile stretched across her face and Izaya suddenly felt unnerved by the look in her eyes.

"Do you want to know what I did to the boy that killed her?" Madoka's voice was a whisper but Izaya nodded anyway, "So did my father." She titled her head back and laughed madly and then she stopped, sat forward and looked at Izaya happily, "Like hell I'd ever tell you."

"You killed him?" He could help himself.

"Maybe." She said to him, "There were lots of ways to disappear in that place."

"What place Madoka-san?" he asked her and she frowned.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to freak you out Izaya-kun." She said suddenly serious, "Anyway I've said too much again, so, uh, do you want to just call it a day and I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Okay." He said to her with a smile.

"Alright Bubye now." She slipped off of his desk and walked to the door and let herself out. Once she was gone Izaya let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

He sat there for a while before he finally got bored and took off.

* * *

><p>"Madoka-san come on, I'm sorry about calling myself a monster but…"<p>

"You're not a monster though." She said as she walked down the hall.

"You've seen me rip a stop sign from the ground before right?" Shizuo asked and she nodded at him nonchalantly.

"Yeah, what's so monstrous about that?" she asked and he paused thinking she was going to start laughing but she didn't. She was being serious.

"Normal people can't do that." He said to her and she laughed.

"Maybe it's the rest of the world that isn't normal by not being able to do what you can." She said to him with a smile, "Just because you have strength doesn't make you a monster; it makes you who you are."

"…" he gaped at her and she smiled up at him.

"Close your mouth you're going to attract flies." She said as she slipped between him and her apartment door, "So, how long were you out here talking to my door?"

"Why are you being mean?" he asked her and she looked over her shoulder at him.

"PMS causes mood swings." She couldn't hold in her laugh when his face lit up bright red, "oh Shizuo-kun you're so cute when you blush."

"I-I'm blushing?" he asked her as he touched his cheek as if he could feel himself blush.

"Yes your dorkiness, you are blushing." She said sarcastically as she watched him with a smile, "Man, I am being a real bitch; I'm sorry Shizuo-kun."

"It's okay everyone has their moments." He said with a shrug, "Anyway I was wondering if you'd like to hang out? I've got the day off."

"Me too." She said to him with a smile, "but are you sure you want to hang out with Ms. Bitch-a-lot?"

"Ah, you're not so bad." He said ruffling her soft hair and then making a face, "Uh I smell that shitty cologne the Flea always wears."

"Uh, I hugged him, it might be me." She said to him and he blinked at her.

"Why did you touch him?" he said with disgust.

"He's my friend, well, sort of." She said with a shrug, "Anyway I was over in Shinjuku –"

"You were at his apartment?" he said with surprise.

"Yeah Otousan, I was at his apartment." She said to him sarcastically and then sighed in exasperation at herself, "maybe I should try to calm myself down before we go hang out or whatever."

"Okay…" Shizuo said taking a step away from her and then turning towards his apartment door as he told her, "… just knock when your good."

"I'm sorry I'm being such a bitch to you," she said and then hugged him from behind and rested her head on his shoulder blade, "Your like, my best friend." She let go of him and then slipped inside her apartment. Shizuo just stood there in the hall like an idiot as he wondered if it was normal for his heart to be pounding so erratically, but he shook his head and went into his apartment.

* * *

><p>From this distance they looked like they were on a date together and it made him wonder if Shizu-chan liked her more than a friend. Izaya didn't really care but he did think about ruining whatever they were doing but on second though he decided to just watch what they were saying. He could read lips, of course, so it wasn't difficult to listen in on their conversation without really hearing it.<p>

It was pretty obvious to Izaya that Shizuo had a little schoolboy crush on her but he doubted the protozoan brained blonde would ever make a move for her. Ha. Izaya didn't doubt that he feared he'd hurt her by accident if he even realized he liked her himself. That Tanaka guy Shizu-chan worked with came out of nowhere and began talking to them, well, mostly her.

* * *

><p>"So what are you guys up to?" Tom asked them and Shizuo shrugged.<p>

"Just hanging out since we both have the day off." She said as she sat on the ledge of the fountain.

"Really you have the same day off as us?" Tom said with a smile.

"I guess so." She said with a smile.

"Maybe we could go out sometime?" he offered with a smile.

"Sure all three of us could hang out." She said with a cheerful smile.

"No, I mean like a date." Tom said as Shizuo watched the two of them with a slight smile. He knew Tom thought she was cute but it was kind of annoying, although he didn't really know why.

"Um… I know you're a good friend of Shizuo-kun's and all but I don't really know you that well, sorry." She said to him and he shrugged.

"Well that's what the date would be for, so we could get to know each other." He said and she smirked.

"I always thought it was friends first and then dating." She said to him and he smiled.

"Well do you want to be friends?" Tom asked and she shrugged.

"I'm always up for making new friends." She said to him.

* * *

><p>Izaya almost wanted to laugh at his pathetic attempt at asking her out although he had been cool about her shooting him down, but still Shizu-chan could've done a better job and succeeded in getting the girl. What she had made him wonder though. She said friends first and then dating. Did that mean she wanted to date him?<p>

"No there isn't any way she'd…" Izaya thought about it. Maybe she did like him and stealing his stuff was just the start. Maybe she was a stalker, and really, the possibilities were endless. He couldn't find anything on this girl and he couldn't figure her out. "… just who are you Doka-chan?"

Izaya smiled as he stepped back into the shadows around the roof top. He'd figure her out even if she pulled him apart in the process. Either way, he was still winning this game.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>Epic fail courtesy of Tanaka Tom! Now doesn't this chapter just make you think? It's been a while since I've given her POV in a while so I might just do that in the next chapter. But I have you guys guessing don't I? Does she like Izaya? No wait, Does she like Shizuo? Well guess what it's all up to you! Vote in a review or PM (Idc really spam from readers is the best spam ever! Then again I don't really consider it spam...) and you can alway alert or favorite! I think alerting is better than favorting since you get an e-mail when the story is updated but, hey, whatever floats your boat! So did you like it? Did I make Izaya seem less weak for you? (I also noticed/it was brought to my attention that he was seemingly weak but don't worry Izaya-kun will get to be all manly very soon {I think...}hehehe) Also the question of the rating may come up... I started this off as rated M but changed it due to lack of smut to T but I'm unsure if that will stay the same. This is my first rated T and I have four (so far) stories (all Durarara) up and they're all M. So I might change the ratings or edit out some dirty details... *giggles* anyway... Ladybug out~!


	6. Fine!

He was surprised that she even came to see him with the way the temperature was dropping but she never missed a day. Madoka was always there around the same time to sit on the corner of his desk and keep him company of a morning but once noon rolled around she could dismiss herself. Namie was even used to her by now. They even got along; well, only after Namie figured out she wasn't someone to fight with.

They probably would've never had a conflict if Madoka hadn't knocked her out when she was stealing his hard drive, which he still haven't gotten back from her. That annoyed him too. She refused to give it back and said that if he stole it he would regret it dearly. Izaya didn't dare cross her with the blackmail she had on him. If any of the yakuza knew that he wrote poetry, or that his favorite song was "Fever," by Adam Lambert, he didn't think they'd let him live it down.

"You spelled that wrong." She said and he blinked over and she pointed at a word on the screen and he fixed it.

"Thanks." He mumbled as he continued to type after that. He stood up and stretched after he sent the e-mail and then walked into the restroom. Namie and Madoka looked over at each other and smiled evilly.

* * *

><p>Izaya didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when he walked over to his desk, Madoka was still perched there smiling happily at his return, but when he sat down in his swivel chair he became chin level with his desk. He jumped a little when Madoka fell to the ground with a loud thud as she laughed hysterically. When he looked over at Namie, she was holding her sides laughing.<p>

"Okay whose the mastermind behind this tertiary?" Izaya demanded and Madoka's hand shot up from the place where she was laughing on the floor.

"I'm sorry Chibi-chan I just couldn't stop myself!" she said sitting up and looking at him and then she fell over again.

"Okay it's not that funny Madoka-san." Namie said and then giggled again when she looked at Izaya.

"I'm not letting you in tomorrow Doka-chan." He said and she popped her head up so he could see her devious smile.

"If you think you can get rid of me just by locking your door then you are sadly mistaken my friend!" she said to him and Izaya stared at her, unsure whether she would actually break in or not. She usually meant the things she said but still he wasn't sure if she was joking sometimes or actually being serious.

"Actually I won't be here when you get here tomorrow and neither will Namie, so you'll have to stay home." He said to her with a shrug, "I just remembered that."

"Izaya-kun when will you learn that you can't lie to me?" she asked him and then laughed.

"Fine then I'll actually leave tomorrow." He said and she blinked at him and then frowned.

"Fine I'll just hang out with Shizuo-kun tomorrow." She said standing up and walking to the door and slamming it behind her. Izaya fixed his chair and went back to work.

"I can't believe you got mad at her just for messing with your chair." Namie said shaking her head at him.

"Do I look like I care about what you think at this moment?" Izaya snapped at her and Namie blinked at him. Izaya didn't normally snap at her like that but would say rude or snide things to her. She didn't think that it would really upset him to have his chair messed with, which was why she had agreed to help her with it.

"You're going to go see her tomorrow aren't you?" she said to him but he ignored her as he scowled at his computer screen.

* * *

><p>"Hey Madoka-san." Shizuo said to her and she looked at him with a sad expression.<p>

"Hey Shizuo-kun…" she grumbled as she opened her apartment door.

"What's got you down?" he asked her friendlily.

"Namie-chan and I played a prank on Izaya-kun and he got really mad and we argued and stuff…" she shrugged and looked at her feel while she stood in her doorway.

"Why do you let that Flea get to you?" Shizuo said shaking his head and she looked up at him.

"He's my friend…" she told him, "… I would be upset if you got mad at me too, but I'd probably be more upset if it were you, since you're my best friend."

"How am I your best friend?" he asked her as he leaned against the door frame and looked down at the thin younger woman.

"You're my favorite friend, and you always make me smile even when I'm feeling down." She told him as she batted her eyes at him.

"A best friend is someone who knows you well; I don't know you very well at all." He told her and she blinked at him.

"Well I'd tell you anything you wanted to know about me." She said to him with a smile, "I trust you a lot."

"What does trust have to do with you telling me about yourself?" he asked her and she looked at her feet.

"Come on in and I'll tell you about myself." She said as she took a step back and let him into her apartment.

* * *

><p>Shizuo stared at her at first but he was positive she wasn't lying about her past. She bit her lip and stared at her hands in her lap nervously. He reached over and flipped the ashes of his cigarette into an empty coke can that she had gotten for his ashes.<p>

"So you burnt down an insane asylum and watched as people jumped from the roof to their deaths, which is also why you have nightmares." Shizuo repeated her and she nodded, "That's a lot to keep bottled up."

"You… you'll still be my friend even after hearing all that?" she asked hesitantly.

"Hell Madoka-san I'd still be your friend if you told me you grew up in the sewers." He said and she laughed.

"Good I was actually afraid to tell you… I thought you'd run away from me because I'm some kind of freak." She said pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

"Madoka-san I'd never do that to you, not after the way you want to be my friend even though…" he stopped when she glared at him.

"If you even think about calling yourself a monster or else I'll have to hurt you Shizuo-kun." She said and then they both started laughing.

"Well, I'd better go buy more cigarettes like I was going to when you caught me." He said looking at his now empty box of cigarettes.

"Okay I guess I'll see you later then." She said to him and then glanced over at the clock on the wall, "Heh, I have to get ready for work anyway."

"Alright I'll see if I can come by Russia Sushi tonight then." Shizuo told her as he left.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>I hoped you enjoyed the filler chapter! I'm sorry that I didn't really write a good one... I started to write one where Madoka is all weak and stuff but I thought it would be better if I put this one in here first... opps... I just gave your a spoiler... sorry... oh well... anyway... If you've never heard "Fever," by Adam Lambert it's sort of like Adam singing about how hot his boyfriend is, not that I'm suggesting in anyway that Izaya is gay in _this_ fanfic anyway... hehehe... Also do any of you think that Shizuo's reaction to her telling him her past was good? And once again I'd like to know **Izaya-kun or Shizuo-kun?** Who do you think Madoka-chan should be paired with?

Madoka: Seriously who am I supposed to like here?

Ladybug: Madoka-chan don't go stealing my Ramble here!

Madoka: You cannot stop me! Weee! *Spins in Izaya's chair*

Izaya: *sigh*

Ladybug out~!


	7. Ache in His Heart

It was snowing this time she left work, Madoka wasn't sure when the weather had gotten so frigid but she was thankful for the sweater that she had found in the back of her closet. It wasn't a coat or a jacket but it was kind of warm. She glanced down and realized she was still wearing her apron from work.

Simon smiled when she walked back in laughing about her forgetfulness as she took the apron to the back where she was supposed to hang it up. He wondered if she had always looked that pale or if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He had heard her coughing a lot today but he didn't think anything of it until now. Maybe she was sick.

"Ma-do-ka-san you feeling not well? Sushi make you better!" Simon said to the pale girl as she walked out of the back with a smile.

"I feel fine Simon-san but thanks." She said as she blinked at him and then turned to walk around the counter but stumbled and fell.

"Ma-do-ka-san?" he said walking around the counter and looking at the girl that was now passed out on the floor.

"Simon-san… huh? Did one of your customers faint?" Izaya asked as he walked over and saw Madoka passed out on the floor, "Doka-chan?"

"You know Ma-do-ka-san?" Simon said to him and Izaya nodded.

"She's sort of a friend of mine." He said to him in Russian, "Do you know what happened?

"She came back in from the cold to put her apron up and then passed out." He said to him, "I thought she was sick but I didn't think she was this bad."

"I can take her to Shinra's place if you'd like?" Izaya offered him and Simon narrowed his eyes.

"You're not planning anything are you?" he asked and Izaya shook his head.

"She's too interesting to use in any of my games." Izaya told him with honesty, "I think she's more interesting by herself than when she's playing with my pawns anyway." Izaya frowned as he thought, _"Mostly because she'd much rather fight with them…"_

"I don't trust you with her." Simon said to him.

"Do you really think keeping an unconscious girl in your shop is the best idea?" Izaya said with a smile as Dennis came in from the back.

"Orihara-san what are you talking about?" He asked the info broker using Russian since that was what the two of them were speaking in.

"Madoka-chan passed out on the floor and Simon-san won't let me take her to Shinra's place." He said to the older Russian man.

"Having an unconscious girl on the floor would scare customers away…" Dennis sighed as Simon frowned at him, "… Take her to Shinra's but I better hear from him, you got it?"

"Yes sir." Izaya said bowing slightly and then picking Madoka up and carrying her out of the shop bridal style. Izaya was surprised at how light she was in his arms since she had felt kind of heavy when she sat on him that time. She felt extremely warm in his arms and he knew the cold air might actually bring down that fever of hers.

Madoka had come to see Izaya everyday but today. He had watched her all morning and saw that she actually just sat in the park all morning and didn't hang out with Shizuo like she said she would. It had to be cold but she had just sat there reading a book as she shivered. She shivered in his arms as he carried her to Shinra's apartment. He hoped that her fever would go down as they walked.

Guilt wasn't something Izaya was used to but he felt that if he hadn't told her to stay away that morning she wouldn't have spent her morning in the cold. Maybe she wouldn't have been as sick, but he knew she was sick to begin with. She had been paler than usual the day before when he had seen her at his loft. Izaya almost dropped her when she began to cough violently in her unconscious state.

"Doka-chan don't cough on me, I might get sick too, and if I get sick who will carry you to Shinra's?" Izaya whispered to her slightly hoping she'd respond but she was still out cold, "I'm sorry, I wish that I would've just sucked it up and laughed too, I mean it was funny when my chair went down…"

Madoka stayed silent and Izaya gave up on his apology as he kicked himself for letting her get to him. He knew the way to Shinra's apartment almost as well as he knew the way to his loft so he let himself watch her breathe as he walked. He didn't pay attention to the world around him at all. Considering he was in Ikebukuro that wasn't such a good idea.

* * *

><p>Shizuo just stared in slight shock as he watched Izaya carrying her seemingly lifeless body down the street. It only took a slip second more before he was seeing red. The street sign that was next to him was ripped from the ground and Izaya looked up at the sound and burst into a run with the limp girl still in his arms.<p>

"IIIzzaaayaaa-kuuun!" Shizuo yelled and began to chase after Izaya with the street sign in his hand.

"Shizu-chan I'm trying to take her to Shinra's!" Izaya called over his shoulder as he ran. Shizuo noticed that Izaya was blabbering but didn't pay attention to what he was saying. He thought Madoka was dead and the only person he could think to blame was the one that was carrying her in his arms.

He didn't understand this weird painful feeling in his chest as ran after Izaya with the full intent to kill him. Shizuo didn't know what he would do with her body after he finished off Izaya. There wouldn't be anything left of Izaya to do anything with once he killed him.

"I'll kill you for hurting her!" Shizuo yelled at him and Izaya darted down an alley and vanished. Shizuo recognized that it was next to Shinra's apartment and he knew that there was a way to get into his apartment from that alley although he didn't know where. Izaya must have known about it which really pissed the blonde brute off.

* * *

><p>"Ah! Izaya what are you do – what happened to that girl?" He asked when he noticed the girl in Izaya's arms.<p>

"Oh, uh, she's a friend of mine and she passed out at work so I thought I'd bring her to you." Izaya said nonchalantly as he breathed heavily.

"What's with you?" Shinra asked him.

"I was running from –"

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"– Shizu-chan…" he said and then looked over at the door, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that's him."

"Shinra-kun! Let me in?" Shizuo yelled from behind the door.

"Where can I hide?" Izaya asked him and Shinra sighed.

"Take her to the spare bedroom where I usually keep patients, you can hide in the closet." Shinra said waving Izaya away as he walked towards the door. Izaya didn't waste any time in following the underground doctor's orders.

"What is it Shizuo-kun?" Shinra asked him and Shizuo glared at him.

"I was chasing the Flea and he was carrying a girl, I think he came here." Shizuo told him.

"He dropped the girl off but left." He lied to him.

"Is she okay?" Shizuo asked him.

"I don't know you pulled me away before I could get a chance to look at her." Shinra told him bluntly.

"Uh, she's a friend of mine… I thought Izaya hurt her." Shizuo's voice dropped to just above a whisper and he looked at his shoes. He was surprised Izaya had actually done something nice for a change. He didn't feel guilty for accusing Izaya but he did feel bad for endangering her life by chasing the Flea and throwing things at him.

"You want to see her?" he asked him.

"Uh, yeah."

* * *

><p>"She has an unusually high fever but <em>this<em> should break that." Shinra gave the motionless girl a shot in her arm and she whimpered softly, "If the drug works her fever will break in a little while."

"And if it doesn't work?" Shizuo asked and Shinra smiled nervously at the blonde who watched over her protectively.

"I'll have to fill up the bath tub with water and ice and put her in it." He told him and then swallowed, "otherwise her fever will kill her."

"Oh…" Shizuo said and then looked down at the unconscious girl and frowned, "… she better not die Shinra-kun."

* * *

><p>Izaya listened in on what they were saying and wished that he wasn't hiding from the protozoan brained blonde. He didn't want Madoka to die and he didn't really know why his chest ached when Shinra said that she could die. It wasn't like he really cared about her. She was just another human that he found interesting, but then again she found him interesting as well. No other human had really returned his love. Ha love!<p>

Izaya almost laughed when he thought about her loving him. He stayed quiet so he didn't attract Shizuo's attention but love? Really? That was ridiculous! The way Madoka always tormented him, teased him, and called him names like Chibi-chan was not how someone showed love. The way Izaya showed his love for his humans wasn't exactly how to show love either but…

Izaya shook his head and mentally sighed at himself. He didn't like her or love her so why should he care whether she loved or liked him. She was –

The sound of her coughing drew him from his thoughts as he watched her cough so hard her whole body shook. Shinra and Shizuo had gone into the next room but Izaya wasn't sure if it was safe enough for him to come out of the closet. He waited a few more seconds after she had stopped coughing before he stepped out. He walked over and felt her forehead, she wasn't as warm as she had been before but she was still warm.

"I-Izaya-kun…" she whimpered and he looked down at her, "… where am I? What happened?"

"You passed out and I took you to a doctor." He told her and she smiled up at him.

"I thought I heard Shziuo-kun…" she said and then closed her eyes sleepily.

"Yeah he chased us here." Izaya listened for a moment and then bolted to the closet but pressed his finger to his mouth before he hid to tell her not to tell.

* * *

><p>"Madoka-san, are you awake?" Shizuo called and she smiled and nodded at him.<p>

"I feel really cold…" she mumbled to him.

"Shinra-kun she's awake." Shizuo called to him and he walked into the room. Madoka blinked at him and then her eyes went wide.

"Shingen-san…?" she said and he blinked at her.

"You know my father?" Shinra asked her and she blinked at him and then rubbed her eyes.

"Uh… yeah I guess…" she said to him but flinched when he walked over to her and felt her forehead.

"You feel cooler but I'm going to take your temperature just to be sure." He said and then reached over and stuck thermometer in her mouth. She sighed around the thermometer and sat back and glared at the closet.

* * *

><p>Izaya smiled when she looked in his direction. Shizuo didn't notice where she was looking but Shinra did and then turned to Shizuo and began to try to get him out of the room. Shinra failed miserably when Madoka said, "But I don't want Shizuo-kun to leave."<p>

"I won't go." Izaya frowned at her from inside the closet. He realized that she was getting even with him from when he told her not to hang out with him.

"_Maybe I should just bust out of here and have a little fun with Shizu-chan."_ Izaya thought to himself. He mulled the idea over and decided it probably wouldn't be the best idea, so he just stood there watching Shinra ask her questions about how she was feeling. After he was done checking her out he told her to get some rest and he and Shizuo left her alone.

"Why do you have to be so cruel to me?" Izaya said as she smirked evilly at him.

"I'm not being cruel." She told him with a smile, "Shizuo-kun won't hurt you if I get in the way."

"You really don't know Shizu-chan that well do you?" Izaya said with a laugh as he walked over to the bed she was sitting in.

"No, I guess not, but he knows a lot about me." She said and Izaya cocked a brow at her.

"How does he know anything about you?" he asked her as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I told him everything about my past." She told him and Izaya was slightly surprised.

"You told him everything? You won't tell me hardly anything…" He didn't understand the weird feeling he got when she told him that. He felt angry and yet… envious of Shizuo. He frowned at her and she smiled half heartedly at him.

"Shizuo-kun is my best friend, I'd tell him anything." She told him and Izaya pouted at her.

"But you won't tell me anything…" she sighed and laid back into the pillow that was behind her.

"I don't trust you." She said bluntly to him, "You aren't a very good friend either and you won't tell me anything about yourself."

"Has Shizu-chan told you anything about himself?" He asked her and she nodded.

"He has a famous brother, he thinks of himself as a monster, and he used to be a bartender." She told him and then laughed, "Oh and he hates violence."

"Madoka-sa…" the door opened and Shizuo saw Izaya and then the door was ripped from the frame. Madoka was quickly between the two but closer to Izaya, she was actually pressed up against him to keep Shizuo from harming him. "Move Madoka-san!" Shizuo snarled at her and she shook her head.

"No you aren't hurting Izaya-kun." She said in a childlike voice.

"Shi-Shizuo-kun just put the door down." Shinra said nervously as Shizuo shook with anger.

"Doka-chan you don't have to keep him from hurting me," Izaya said putting his arms around her, knowing that it would only make Shizuo angrier, but really did because he was worried she's pass out again, and then, just for theatrical effect, rested his chin on top of her head.

"Oh yes, because the moment I move he's going to hug you rather than smash you with that door." She said sarcastically to him as she grabbed his hands that were around her waist and pulled them off.

"Aw Shizu-chan looks like he doesn't like it when I put my arms around you." Izaya hugged and she sighed.

"Oh so you hug me now?" she said and then looked at Shizuo, "If I didn't think you wouldn't kill him I would move, so you can either stand there all night waiting for me to move or you can let him leave so we can talk."

"What makes you think I'm going anywhere?" Izaya asked her and she turned around and pushed him against the bed and his eyes got wide.

"Because I'm pissed as hell at you!" She shouted at him and he blinked at her, "Do you really want to be around me when I'm angry Izaya-san?"

"I'll go…" he said then looked at Shizuo who had lowered the door but still had it in his hands, "… Madoka-chan we'll talk later?"

"Maybe." She said folding her arms across her chest and looking away from him, and at Shizuo, "let him pass or else."

Shizuo stepped aside wondering why he was actually listening to her. He would never do this for anyone else. He'd kill Izaya if he had the chance but with Shinra here that would actually prove to be difficult, but still he would attempt to but… but… he didn't. Izaya walked right past him and out the door without so much as a scratch.

"You said we'd talk?" Shizuo said and she sighed.

"You didn't want to leave right?" she said with a frown, "well I hope you're happy."

"Are you mad at me?" Shizuo asked her and she shook her head.

"I'm angry with myself…" she said and then Shinra slipped out the door-less doorway to give them some privacy.

"Well, I feel… less angry now that the damned Flea is gone." He mumbled and she smiled over at him.

"Same here." He looked up at her smile as she cocked her head to the side, "But honestly I should've thanked him for bringing me here."

"…" Shizuo scowled as he looked away from her and she giggled, "…yeah, I guess that was nice of him."

"You look silly when you wrinkle your brow like that." She giggled at him again.

"Hm?" Shizuo grumbled and looked up at her. She was still pale and her next giggle turned into a cough. "Ya know you should really wear a coat."

"I don't own one, I can't afford one either." She said to him and he frowned as he wished that he had the money to get her one. They both probably made about the same amount and he knew there wasn't much room for buying anything extra. If it weren't for his Christmas bonus he'd probably never be able to afford anything for his mom, dad, or brother.

"Maybe you can get one with your Christmas bonus?" Shizuo said and she blinked at him.

"What's Christmas and what's a bonus?" Shizuo stared at her for a second and then realized she was being serious.

"It's a holiday where you celebrate by giving your family presents and stuff, and a bonus is extra money your employer gives you." He said and felt sorry for her, living in an insane asylum for most of her life she had never experienced anything like Christmas, it was sad.

"I think some of the kids at the asylum used to leave for that but they were always back by the end of the day, or someone would visit them." She said with a shrug, "No surprise that my dad never told me about it."

"Do you want to celebrate it with me?" Shizuo asked before he registered what he was saying. She smiled and her eyes lit up at his offer. _"Too late to take it back now dumbass…"_

"Sure!" she said without hesitating.

* * *

><p>Izaya walked home as the strange ache in his chest seemed to get worse. He wondered why his heart had thudded so hard when he'd put his arms around Madoka. It wasn't like him to get all weird by touching another human. It had happened when she hugged him the last time but not this weird ache when she had pushed him away when <em>he<em> hugged _her_. He wondered if he had hurt her feelings by telling her to leave him alone today. He wondered if he had finally gotten the point across, that he wanted her to leave him alone. Izaya suddenly realized he didn't want her to stay away from him.

He paused in his walking as he wondered why he suddenly desired her to be around him rather than how he had been feeling. Izaya shook his head and tried to sort out his thoughts. The ache in his chest didn't help matters, but he pushed it out of his mind as much as he could as he decided he would make a visit to her when Shizu-chan went to work.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>I know it doesn't seem very Izaya like to hide from Shizuo but hey it's my story... so... Oh and I just have to say this! "Izaya came out of the closet!" *giggles* I seriously need you to tell me whether you want it ShizuoXMadoka or IzayaXMadoka? I mean all you have to do is bring up a review thingy and write **Izaya** or **Shizuo**! It's not gonna kill you! Oh and my readers who don't have a fanfiction account you can vote too! I don't mind your mysteriousness! Also I would like you (as in all of my readers not just my mysterious readers) to tell me if you want something to happen in this story. I'm all for giving my readers what they want! also I'm still not sure about the rating... I'm considering making a "Missing scenes from Sanity is in Vain" for when I want to write smut I'll just cut it out of here and if you want to read the smut then it'll be there. Tell me if you think it's a good idea please? Ladybug out~!


	8. Christmas with the Heiwajimas

"So you're really not mad at me anymore?" Izaya asked and she nodded as she smiled at him.

"Izaya-kun I'm not angry, stop asking me that." Madoka said getting slightly annoyed at him but at the same time happy to see him, "Um, thank you for bringing me to Shinra-san's."

"It's okay." He said smiling at her, "So I heard you were spending Christmas with Shizu-chan?"

"Actually his family is celebrating it a few days before so I'm free on Christmas." She told him and he smiled.

"You want to celebrate Christmas with me then?" he asked her and she smiled.

"Sure! That means I'd get to celebrate it twice!" She said happily to him.

"Well I was thinking about actually going to my parents' house this year so you'll probably be accused of being my girlfriend." He said with a laugh.

"Just tell them I'm not then." She said and he smiled as the evil gears in his mind began to turn.

"Maybe I'll tell them you are my actual girlfriend." He said and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Why on earth would you want to claim that?" She let her tone express the annoyance she was feeling.

"I want to see the looks on their faces." He said to her and then he stood up and walked towards the door, "I'm pretty sure my family thinks I'd never open myself to anyone in that way."

"But you won't, will you?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"I don't know." He said with a shrug, "I'll see you later Doka-chan."

Madoka was slightly confused by his words but at the same time she was too tired to care. She was still sick and she didn't feel well at all. It annoyed her that she hadn't even noticed that she was sick but she did enjoy the attention she was getting from Izaya and Shizuo. She just didn't like it when they would attempt to visit her at the same time. It had happened three times, and today was the first time she had the chance to actually talk to Izaya. She felt annoyed by both of them but she figured it was also because of how horrible she felt.

The tired girl lay back in the bed and was gone within a few moments. Her dreams were filled with her friends and them actually getting along. That was the only thing that let her know it was just a dream…

* * *

><p>"You and Shizuo-kun sure do like her a lot." Shinra said to Izaya who shrugged.<p>

"It's pretty obvious that Shizu-chan has a crush on her." Izaya laughed, "He's so pathetic."

Celty looked up at him when he said that as she sat in the kitchen area with them. She typed out something in her PDA and stuck it in Izaya's face.

[You like her too and it's extremely obvious.] It read and he looked at her with confusion.

"I do not like her." He said shaking his head and laughing.

"Could've fooled me." Shinra said with a smile, "Your always calling and asking if she's feeling better, you've came to see her at least twenty times in the past week, and when you found that she was sleeping you would just watch her if Shizuo wasn't here." Shinra said to him and Izaya blinked at him with a blank expression, "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're crushing on her too."

"That's ridiculous Shinra-kun; I don't like anyone like that." He said with a laugh.

[You're in denial.] Celty wrote to him and he rolled his eyes.

"I don't like her. She's just one of the more interesting humans I've met, that's why I visit so often." Izaya said trying to convince himself more than them.

"Aw Izaya-kun and Madoka-chan sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I – uhff." Celty punched Shinra and he started to laugh and then stopped when he saw Izaya's angry expression, "haha… Uh, sorry Izaya-kun."

"Uh-huh." Izaya said while glaring at him, "Have a good day Shinra-kun, Celty-san."

They both watched as he walked to the door and left. Shinra sighed and shook his head as Celty typed something out on her PDA.

[He really likes her doesn't he?] She asked him and Shinra smiled.

"It's hard to tell with Izaya-kun, but he definite feels something for her." He told her with a smile, "I honestly don't think he's ever had feelings for anyone before so it's likely he doesn't even know how he feels."

[I kind of feel sorry for him, not knowing what love feels like.] She wrote and Shinra could almost see the pity on her nonexistent face.

"Scary thing is I'm pretty sure Shizuo-kun feels the same way he does for her." He said with a sigh, "I feel sorry for whoever ends up alone in the end, it'll probably be Izaya since she seems closer to Shizuo-kun, but it's hard to tell."

[I heard Izaya ask her over to his parents' house for Christmas.] Shinra's eyebrows went up at that.

"She agreed?" he asked and Celty nodded, _sort_ of, "The Orihara twins are going to have a field day with her."

[Poor girl]

* * *

><p>Shizuo swallowed nervously as he walked towards his childhood home. Madoka cheerfully smiled up at him as he smiled back down at her. His mother had been ecstatic when he told her over the phone that he was bringing a friend, a <em>female<em> friend. He had told her that they were 'just friends' but she was still excited to hear that Shizuo had made friends with a woman. He wasn't sure whether he should feel pity for the girl next to him or if he should tell her to just go along with whatever his mother said. His father, he didn't really have to worry about, well, unless he thought they were together too… Shizuo almost thought about turning away from the door but his mother opened the door before he had the chance to do anything. He figured she had been watching from the window for him.

"Ah Shizuo-chan!" his mother pulled him into an embrace before he knew what was happening.

"Okasan, it's good to see you too." Shizuo said as he very gently returned the hug.

"Oh and you must be Madoka-san!" she pulled away from her son to hug Madoka who jumped in surprise at his mother's affection but hugged the woman back.

"It's nice to meet you, uh, um; Shizuo-kun never told me your name." Madoka told her shyly.

"My name is Namiko, my dear." She told her sweetly as she smiled at the young girl, "Oh how rude of me! Come in, come in!"

"Sorry, she's kind of high strung." Shizuo whispered to Madoka as they took off their shoes in the doorway.

"Thanks for the heads up." She said softly back to him but then giggled at his half smile, "She seems sweet though."

"Okasan is sweet." He said with a smile. Shizuo felt all of his nervousness vanish as they walked into the living room. He loved being around his family since they made him feel so normal. Madoka made him feel normal too.

Shizuo's father glanced up at them and nodded as they gave a respectful bow to him. Kasuka was already there and he smiled ever so slightly at his brother. When his eyes drifted over to Madoka he blinked to show his surprise.

"Are you Shizuo-nii's girlfriend?" he asked and her face turned a bright red.

"No she's just my friend." Shizuo answered for her since she had suddenly become shy again. He thought that it was strange of her to be so shy; she was usually more adventurous and fearless. "Madoka-san, are you feeling sick again?"

"No, I'm fine." She said in a clipped sort of way. It reminded him of how he usually talked but he wasn't really that way around his family, he enjoyed talking to them.

"'Kay, if you say so." He said as he sat down and she sat next to him on the sofa. Shizuo and his father got into a conversation about how Shizuo's job was doing and Madoka and Kasuka sat there and quietly listened. Kasuka finally decided to take pity upon her and suggested that she could go help their mother in the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Namiko-san?" Madoka said when she entered the kitchen and saw Shizuo's mom, "Uh Kasuka-san said I could help you with cooking, er, something…"<p>

"Sure dear, you could chop the vegetables?" Namiko offered to her and she nodded.

Madoka was silent as she focused on cutting up anything Namiko handed her. She felt nervous being around Shizuo's mother, although she wasn't sure why. She had never been shy around new people before but she was more worried about them finding her strange than she did if Shizuo thought that. She knew Shizuo didn't think she was weird but she really just wanted his family to like her.

"So you like Shizuo-chan right?" Namiko broke the silence and Madoka paused in her chopping.

"Uh, yeah he's a good friend." She said knowing that Namiko meant that as more than friends.

"How did you meet him?" she asked and Madoka paused again. Namiko was beginning to annoy her but she understood her concern for her son.

"We're neighbors." It wasn't a lie but it wasn't how they had met. She had actually stolen his cigarette from his lips and he almost threw a trash can at her, but she didn't care, she just walked up to him and started talking to him.

"Oh, Shizuo-chan didn't mention that, you two visit each other often?" Madoka smiled at that.

"We see each other almost every day, if it's not in the hallway he comes to my work." She told her with a smile.

"Where do you work?"

"I'm a server at Russia Sushi." She said and Namiko giggled at that.

"He must like you an awful lot to go there." She said and Madoka glanced up at her in question, "Simon-san, I think it was, used to break up his fights with Orihara Izaya and force them to sit next to each other and eat sushi."

"Simon-san is a really good person," Madoka said cheerfully, "I'm not surprised at all that he did that."

The two of them continued to talk about Shizuo for a while. Namiko told her about when Shizuo was little, when he started to get his unusual strength, and other things. She was in the middle of a story about when he was little when he decided to see what they were up to. He listened to his mother and then realized it was one of the more embarrassing stories.

"Okasan, don't tell her about that!" he said causing them both to jump in surprise.

"Aw, but Shizuo-kun I want to hear about how adorable you were as a child~!" She whined as she pouted at him.

"Uh, no, I don't want you to hear about that." He said as he blushed at her words, "Okasan dad was wondering when you'd be done cooking?"

"It shouldn't be much longer, uh Madoka-san why don't you go join them." She said to her and she nodded but smiled at the older woman. Once she was in the hall Shizuo turned to her.

"How much did my mother tell you?" he asked and she smiled up at him.

"You never told me you used to get dragged into Russia Sushi when you were younger." She said giggling up at him as she batted her lashes at him.

"Uh, I knew it was a bad idea to let you around my Okasan…" He grumbled to himself as he face palmed.

Madoka shook her head and went back into the living room with him. She sat next to him and slowly began to nod off. Shizuo didn't notice until she was leaning against his shoulder. Kichirou, Shizuo's father, noticed and raised a brow as he asked, "Is she always that tired?"

"She actually hasn't been feeling well lately, Shinra-kun almost didn't let me take her out tonight." Shizuo said and then sighed, "Maybe I should've listened to him." Shizuo slipped his arm around her and she leaned into his side and then she snuggled into him.

"Aniki do you like her?" Kasuka asked him and Shizuo blinked at his little brother.

"I don't know, I've never really thought about it." Shizuo told him honestly.

"I think she likes you." He told his brother and Shizuo shrugged but smiled at the same time.

* * *

><p>Madoka slept the rest of the time there but Shizuo made her a plate of food for when she woke the next morning, and then carried her in one arm and the plate and a gift his mother had gotten for her in one arm and went back to Shinra's apartment. Shizuo decided that he did like her as he watched her sleep. She did make him feel weird things, things he had never felt for anyone before.<p>

"I like you…" he whispered to her as she slept, "… I think I like you a lot." Shizuo took that moment to glance up and saw that he was under the mistletoe that someone had hug outside, so he bent down and gently kissed her soft lips as she slept in his arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>I feel really crappy tonight so I had to really fight with myself to post this... Someone requested that I put something with mistletoe in here so, I hope I made you happy! Unless you wanted that to be with Izaya... Don't worry there will Izaya fluff~ in the next chapter. Also It's one vote Shizuo and three for Izaya. Please vote more! Just a simple Shizuo or Izaya is all you have to write. I'm not picky. Anyway Ladybug out~!


	9. Christmas with the Oriharas

"You did tell them we're just friends right?" Madoka asked as they rounded the corner that lead to his parents' house.

"Actually I told them we were together." He said putting his arm around her and smiling down at her.

"Izaya-kun, you're despicable." She told him as she shook her head, "I guess I'll go along."

"Oh thank you Doka-chan!" he said pulling her into a hug.

"Why is it you didn't want to hug me before?" she asked him and he shrugged and returned to walking.

"You just caught me off guard before." He lied to her but she let it go as he just walked right into his parents' house without knocking, "Okasan, Otosan?"

"Iza-nii!" Mairu was the first to greet him as Kururi made her way at her own pace to greet him.

"Iza-nii…" she said hugging him as Mairu did the same, "Madoka-san…?"

"Hi Mairu-san, Kururi-san." She said cheerfully to the girls.

"Wait! Your Iza-nii's girlfriend?" Mairu shouted at her.

"She sure is." Izaya said before Madoka could even answer, "How do you all know each other?"

"They bumped into Shizuo-kun and I a few weeks back." She told him with a shrug.

"I thought you were Shizuo-kun's girlfriend." Mairu said to her.

"No he's just my friend." She told the younger girl.

"Iza-chan?" Izaya's mother came in as the two of them began to take off their shoes, "Oh I didn't think you'd actually come."

"Okasan I wouldn't miss introducing my girlfriend to you for the world!" he said and glanced at Madoka who merely ignored him.

"I'm Kyouko." She said cheerfully to the girl, "It's so very nice to know that Iza-chan has found someone."

"I'm Madoka, I'm glad to be that person…" she said awkwardly to her but with a smile.

"Your way too pretty for Iza-nii." Mairu said to her with a smile.

"Uh, thanks, I think…" she said to her as Izaya smiled and then put an arm around her waist.

"Shall we?" he said leading her into the next room.

It was Christmas Eve and they had everything decorated beautifully; Madoka couldn't help but compare it to how plain Shizuo's parents' house was, and how there was less of a friendly atmosphere at the Orihara's. It felt like everyone was on edge, everyone besides Izaya. He was as cool as a cucumber.

"It's a lot nicer than the Heiwajima's place huh?" Izaya whispered into her ear.

"It felt friendlier there…" she mumbled and looked away from him.

"Iza-chan, who's this beauty you have with you." Madoka nearly jumped at the sound of someone else's voice.

"Otosan, this is my girlfriend, Madoka-chan." He said pulling Madoka closer to him.

"It's nice to meet you, Madoka-san, I'm Shiruo." He said bowing to her.

"N-nice to meet you too." She said bowing back to him with some difficulty since Izaya had his arms wrapped around her.

"Iza-nii…" Kururi said as she walked into the room, "… Okasan wants… talk… you…"

"Why?" he asked her.

"Don't… know…" she shrugged to him and then walked out of the room.

"I'll be back." He said kissing her on the cheek and then walking out of the room. Madoka knew her face had to be bright red as she stood in the middle of the dining room. Shiruo shook his head at his son but smiled at her.

"So how long have the two of you been together?" he asked her.

"A few weeks, a month maybe…" she lied with a shrug.

"I don't think Izaya-chan has ever had a girlfriend before." He told her and she blinked at him.

"He's never dated anyone?" she said and he shook his head.

"I always thought that he may have been in the closet but you're proof that he's not." He told her with a smile and she couldn't help but smile and wonder if Izaya was gay.

"Otosan, I'm going to have to steal her away from you since Okasan wants to know what she likes." Izaya said as he came into the room only catching the 'proof that he's not' part of their conversation. He glanced at his father who merely smiled at him as Madoka walked over to him. He glanced down at her when they got into the hall and smiled. "What did my father mean by 'proof that he's not'?"

"He thought you were gay." She said without hesitation, "Are you gay?"

"No, Doka-chan I most certainly am not." He said pulling her a little too close for comfort and bringing his face a little too close to hers. Madoka felt her heart pounding in her ears like it was that night she had stole from Izaya.

"Izaya-chan, what's taking you so – oh?" His mother opened the door to the kitchen to find them standing very close to each other and looking like they were about to kiss, "Sorry if I intruded."

"No it's o-okay." Madoka said pulling out of Izaya's arms as he smiled at her lovingly, "What was it you wanted to talk to me about."

"Well it seems that Izaya-chan doesn't know what you like to eat." She said to her with a smile, "I'm trying to prepare everyone's favorite dishes."

"I don't really have a favorite food… I'll have whatever Izaya's having, if that's okay?" she said nervously to her.

"Oh sure!" She said happily and then slipped back into the kitchen. Izaya could see Madoka visibly relax when his mother left them.

"Why do my parents make you so nervous?" he whispered into her ear and she tensed up again.

"What if they think I'm weird…?" Was all she whispered to him. She had the same fear from the night she was at Shizuo's house only she didn't care if Mairu or Kururi thought that.

"Don't worry about what they think." He said pulling her close again, "I think you're amazing."

"Izaya-kun your acting like we really are –"

"Iza-nii, Doka-chan, you should come watch this movie with us!" Mairu said as she came running around the corner.

"What's the movie?" Izaya asked as he moved around Madoka and stood next to her only to slip an arm around her waist again.

"It's a new Hanejima Yuhei movie mom got us for Christmas!" she squealed with excitement, "Come on Iza-nii please watch it with us!"

"Izaya-kun, it wouldn't hurt to just watch the movie~…" Madoka said flirtingly to him and he smiled at her.

"You and my sisters are in cahoots together I swear…" he mumbled as he let Madoka lead him down the hall and then she paused not knowing where to go next since she didn't see where Mairu darted off to. Izaya grabbed her by the hand and led the rest of the way to the living room.

Mairu and Kururi were already sitting in front of the TV watching the previews with anticipation. Izaya looked around and saw that they still had the gifts under the tree; he guessed the twins had either taken the movie without asking or their mother was just being nice.

Madoka sat down on the sofa and Izaya took the space next to her and pulled her close. She involuntarily snuggled against him as she tried to get comfortable to watch the movie.

* * *

><p>Kyouko made them pause the movie when they were half way through it to go eat dinner. The twins talked about how amazing the movie had been so far. Izaya lied about working as an informant and his parents thought he was an accountant. He told them about how his 'fake' work was doing and all that jazz while Madoka sat there quietly listening to them chat as she ate otoro like Izaya was.<p>

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, they went back to the living room and started the movie again. Everyone became so involved in the movie – except Izaya – that they all jumped when Izaya's cell phone went off. He quickly left the room to take the call before his sisters started to throw sharp objects at him. When he came back in the twins were leaning against each other and trying to stay awake. He sat next to Madoka, who was still awake, and then glanced over at his parents that were sitting in the loveseat across from them out cold. The movie was nearing the end but Izaya didn't notice. He just leaned down and kissed Madoka's cheek which caused her to jump in surprise.

"Izaya-kun." She said in a warning tone to him as he smiled at her.

"Shh, the twins are almost asleep." He whispered as Kururi closed her eyes and nodded off and Mairu fought sleep but in the end sleep prevailed, "will you help me carry them to their room?"

"Sure but can we wait until the movie is over…?" she couldn't help but smile as she asked him and he nodded.

* * *

><p>Mairu was heavier than Madoka thought she would be but she could still pick up the girl. She followed Izaya down the hall to the twins' room, which was decked out in Hanejima Yuhei memorabilia, and put them in their beds. Izaya smiled as he closed the door behind him, thankful that his sisters had behaved themselves for a change.<p>

"So, should we go now?" she asked him and he laughed.

"Doka-chan, it's only Christmas Eve, if you want to open up any gifts you'll have to stay the night." He told her as he opened a door behind him, "This is the guest room, it used to be mine." Izaya pulled her into the room before she could protest or suggest that she come back in the morning. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as he pulled her close to him.

"Izaya-kun I don't have any night clothes to wear…" she said to him and he laughed a little.

"Sleep in your underwear, that's what I'm doing." He said and then pulled off his shirt which caused her face to get redder than his words had, "Aw Doka-chan your just too cute when your blushing~!"

"Izaya-kun, stop teasing me like this." She said looking away from him but then he grabbed her hand and pulled her close. The feel of his bare skin sent shivers up her spine and she looked up at his face and blinked at him.

"I'm not teasing, I'm being serious." He whispered to her and she looked away again.

"Fine but don't look." She said and then pulled out of his arms and turned around but looked over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't watching her. She was glad that she decided to wear a tank top under her sweater and she decided she would keep her skirt on.

"You know I didn't know you were so shy about your body~." He said and his voice caused goose bumps to come up all over her skin.

"I'm not shy, I just don't like the way you keep looking at me." She said to him and he laughed.

"Well, I just noticed that you're really beautiful." He all but purred at her and she shook her head and turned around.

"I'm not beautiful." She said to him and he turned around.

"How do you know you're not beautiful?" he asked as he pulled her close to him again.

"No one besides you has ever told me that." She said with an annoyed expression.

"Maybe it's because they were too afraid to say it to someone so beautiful, because they would just be stating the obvious." He said to her and she shuddered at his husky tone.

"Izaya-kun you keep acting like we really are together it's kind of unnerving…" she told him and he smiled.

"I like you." He told her and then his voice got even huskier, "I like you, a lot."

His lips were pressed to hers before she had a chance to say anything to that. Madoka felt her heart pound harder than it had before, her knees felt weak even. She didn't know what she was doing but her arms snaked up around his shoulders she pulled herself closer to him and then the door opened and the light flicked on.

"Oh! I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude!" Kyouko said as they separated but Izaya kept his arms around Madoka as she looked away and slightly hid herself behind Izaya, "Just keep it down, I don't want you waking the twins, and you already know how Mairu-chan is."

"Okay Okasan, anything else?" he asked and she shook her head.

"Goodnight you two," she said to them and then left.

"Oh my god that was so embarrassing…" Madoka said and he laughed, "… She thought that we were about to…" her face only got redder at the very thought, "… an-and what do you mean you like me?"

"I want you to be mine." He told her and then kissed her softly for a moment, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"I don't know…" she said looking away from him but he saw her exposed neck and couldn't stop himself from placing soft little kisses all over her delicate skin, "… I-Izaya-kuuun…" she mewled at him, "… s-st-stop d-doing that…"

"Uh-uh," he mumbled and continued to kiss her neck, collarbone, and the other side of her neck. She pushed him away finally and he looked at her, she was breathing heavily and her cheeks were red. "Wow I didn't think you would get so flustered~!"

"Shut up." She said to him, "I'm tired, so where am I sleeping?"

"In here." He told her as he nodded toward the bed in the room.

"What about you?" she asked him and he smiled.

"Well right next to you of course~!" he told her and her face got even redder although he didn't think it was humanly possible, "Don't worry I won't pull any funny business on you."

"I don't trust you." She said not moving from the place she was standing.

"What are you so worried about?" he asked her and she blushed and looked away, "Don't worry I promise you'll wake up tomorrow with your virtue intact."

"Yeah I bet." She said folding her arms across her chest. Izaya stared at her a little shocked at her.

"Do you really think I'd make you do _that_ against your will?" he asked her and she looked up at him and then shook her head as she lowered her head.

"No but I really don't trust you… sorry…" she said and he just stared at her. Madoka glanced up at him when he stayed silent and saw the hurt plastered all over his face.

"I'll sleep on the floor." He said to her and she blinked.

"No, you could catch a cold." She told him and then grabbed his wrist, "I-I think I like you too, just not as much as you do…" she looked away from him and then he pulled her close to him.

"Really, what's keeping you from liking me as much as I like you?" he asked her and she bit her lip.

"I still don't know anything about you, and…" she bit her lip again and looked at his chest rather than his face.

"It's okay you don't have to tell me." He said and then kissed her forehead, "I'll tell you everything when we're not here. Who knows if the twins bugged this room?"

"Oh they're not that bad, are they?" she said smiling up at him.

"Yes, yes they are." He said seriously and then kissed her cheek, "I'm tired too…"

Izaya loved the way she snuggled against him when she finally fell asleep. He knew letting her see the hurt on his face would either backfire or work, it worked. Orihara Izaya always got what he wanted.

* * *

><p>Madoka opened her eyes and blushed at his closeness to her face. He looked so gentle and sweet. Everything she knew he was only for her, her heart was in a tug-of-war at the moment, and Orihara was pulling the rope harder than his competitor. She wasn't sure how long that would last but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed they way he was holding her right now. She must have wrapped her legs around one of his in their sleep last night, and he must have wrapped his arms around her. It was so warm and surprisingly comfortable in his arms but she wouldn't tell him that.<p>

His eyes started to open and he blinked at her as his red-brown eyes stared into her dark nearly black eyes. Izaya could see the flecks of silver that were in her eyes, they were so beautiful, just like the rest of her.

"You have beautiful eyes." He whispered to her, "Oh and good morning and merry Christmas."

"Morning to you too, and merry Christmas." She said and then kissed his forehead, "I never thought I'd wake up next to you one morning, heh."

"Wish I could say the same." He said and then kissed her neck again.

"Izaya-kun." She said in a warning tone again.

"Alright, alright." He said looking at her face and smiling, "Can I please kiss you though?"

"Fine…" she said after a few moments of mulling it over. He moved the whole inch that was separating them and kissed her on the lips again. Then a light flashed and they both jumped to see Mairu standing at the end of the bed with a camera.

"Ha! I got it!" she said and then jumped off the bed and ran out the door. Izaya looked at Madoka, whose face was on fire, and then laughed.

"I've got to get her to give me a copy of that picture." He said and she punched him in the shoulder.

"You and your sister are evil." She said as she rolled out of bed and snatched her sweater off the floor, "You should see your hair."

"You should see yours." He said to her and she smiled at him.

"I'm still beautiful though right?" she winked at him and he smiled.

"Always, now come on before they rip open all their gifts." Izaya said pulling on his shirt and then tugging on his pants.

"You're so hilarious to watch when you're in a hurry." She giggled at him but followed him out as he pulled her close to him. Madoka felt more relaxed for some odd reason but she didn't really pay attention to it as the twins ran up to Izaya and hugged him.

"AH! THANK YOU SO MUCH IZA-NII!" Mairu yelled and Madoka blinked at him.

"I brought presents here before I went to get you yesterday." He told her and she nodded.

"What'd you get them?" she asked him.

"Just some autographed photos of Hanejima Yuhei, and some other Hanejima stuff." He said with a smile and a shrug.

"Aw you're such a good brother." She said teasingly to him as his parents walked into the room.

"Have fun last night?" Shiruo winked at his son and Madoka blushed.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Izaya said with a smile as Madoka tried to hide her face in his shoulder.

"Oh don't embarrass the poor girl." Kyouko said smacking both her husband and Izaya before they went into the kitchen for coffee.

"I'm sorry Doka-chan." Izaya said kissing her cheek and then taking her hand and leading her into the living room where the twins were. He started to dig under the tree too and found what he was looking for while Madoka sat there and watched him happily. He turned around and handed it to her. "I figured you'd like this."

"What is it?" she asked taking the box.

"Well open it and find out~!" he sang to her and she rolled her eyes but opened the box anyway as he walked around and sat next to her.

"Ah! Thank you Izaya-kun!" she said as she pulled a coat out of the box. It was black with black fur lining. She hugged it to her chest and smiled and then turned around and kissed Izaya square on the lips. His eyes got big but he kissed her back after a second. "Thank you so much."

"Anything for you." He said and then kissed her forehead.

"Aww, Iza-nii and Doka-chan sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" Mairu began to sing which only made Madoka's face get red all over again.

"Mairu-chan, stop." Izaya snapped at his sister who completely ignored him until she finished singing the song.

"Iza-nii… aww…" Kururi said with a smile at her brother.

"Ugh, now you're both teasing." Izaya shook his head.

"What? You two wouldn't kiss your boyfriend if you had one?" Madoka said teasing them for teasing Izaya.

"Well yeah." Mairu said with a shrug, "but it's just fun to tease Iza-nii."

"Kururi-chan have you told Otosan about Aoba-kun~?" Izaya said narrowing his eyes at his little sister. She blushed and shook her head. "Then I suggest you leave us alone."

"You really are evil." Madoka said poking Izaya in the chest.

"You can be evil too when you want to too~." he said flirtingly to her and she giggled at him.

"You two make me wanna puke." Mairu said shaking her head and walking out of the room with Kururi in toe.

"I wish I could afford to get you something for Christmas…" Madoka said to him and he smiled.

"All I want for Christmas is you…" he said kissing her gently.

"Izaya-kun," Madoka said pushing against his chest, "Stop, seriously, I like you but not this much."

"I know…" he said pulling away from her but he still smiled at her, "… but you will be mine."

"Yeah we'll see about that." She said standing up and leading him by the hand into the kitchen where his family was having Christmas breakfast.

* * *

><p>Madoka walked towards her apartment door. She was happy to finally be home and not at Shinra's anymore. She also felt like she was floating on air as she walked in her new coat. A smile was slapped across her face and she was humming quietly to herself.<p>

"You seem really happy." Shizuo said when he saw her and then he looked at what she was wearing, "Where'd you get that?"

"It's a Christmas gift from Izaya-kun." She said cheerfully, "Oh that reminds me I got you something if you wanna come in and get it."

"Uh, okay." Shizuo said to her as she opened her apartment door. He followed her in and waited by the door as she darted down the hall. She came back, not wearing her coat, and holding a box in her hands.

"I've always seen you light up with matches so I figured this would be an improvement." She said holding the box in both hands as she offered it to him.

"Thank you Madoka," he said and then opened the box to find a plain silver lighter sitting in the box; "You didn't have to get me anything you know."

"Well, merry Christmas…" she said smiling at him. He smiled and then bent down and kissed her forehead before he realized what he was thinking. He pulled away from her to see her red face looking up at him.

"I'm sorry I don't know what I was –" before he could finish what he was saying she pulled him by his tie and kissed his lips. Shizuo was surprised by her actions but kissed her back and slid his arms around her as she slid her arms around his neck.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>Okay first off who wouldn't wonder about their son who lots of girls admire and yet never seems to be interested in them? I knew it was a risk but that couldn't be helped! Anyway... I hope you enjoyed the fluff~! I know I enjoyed writing it! Oh and let's not forget the cliff hanger~! I still need votes! I only have one for Shizuo and three for Izaya! What are you all Shizuo haters out there? Madoka obviously likes both of them and her heart is in a tug-of-war! So romantic... I kind of think I'm one of those hopless romantics but I'm not sure... anyway vote **Izaya** or **Shizuo** please! Ladybug out~!


	10. Makisawa Madoka

Madoka pulled away from Shizuo and blushed up at him, "I'm-I'm sorry…" she squeaked and took a step away from him.

"No, it's okay… I… I like you." He said feeling nervous about admitting it to her while she was awake.

"Uh, not you too!" she said throwing her hands up in the air, "This would be so much easier if one of you didn't like me!"

"Madoka-san what are you talking about?" Shizuo asked her and she plopped onto her sofa in anger.

"Izaya-kun… too…" She grumbled and he blinked.

"Will you talk and not mumble I can't hear you." He said as he started to feel irritated.

"Izaya likes me too!" she shouted at him and he stared at her.

"D-do you like him?" Shizuo asked her as that ache he felt when he thought she was dead returned to his chest.

"I like both of you…" she spoke with her voice just above a whisper but he could hear her this time.

Shizuo didn't know what to say to that so he just stared at her. Izaya was a horrible person and if he got bored with her she would just be another one of his humans to him, no one special. Shizuo didn't want that for her, so once again his body acted without his consent. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"Who do you _love_?" he asked her and she blinked at him and then looked away from him.

"I don't know…" she said and then looked back at him, "… I trust you a lot more than him but…"

"Think about it, okay." He said as he began to sit her back down.

"Wait, w-will you stay here for a while?" she asked him and he smiled at her and nodded. He sat down on her sofa with her still in his arms. Madoka rested her head against his chest. He slid down until he was lying back with her lying on top of him. He put his arms around her and nodded off.

* * *

><p>KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!<p>

"Uh…" Madoka sat up, which woke up Shizuo, "… hold on a second."

"_I hope it isn't Izaya…"_ Shizuo thought to himself unhappily as he sat up and ran his hand through his hair.

"Uh, yeah he's here actually," Madoka said and Shizuo could hear the shy tone in her voice, "I'll go get him if you'd like?"

"Sure." Shizuo's eyes went wide when he heard Tom's voice and then he glanced at the wall clock and saw that he was really late for… whatever it was Tom wanted to do on Christmas night.

"Tom-san is here for you…" she said to him shyly, "… uh your shirt is all wrinkled."

"It's alright." He said with a shrug and then kissed her forehead, "I'll see you later beautiful."

"Thanks." She said smiling at him as he walked around her. She was happy to hear that Izaya wasn't the only one that thought she was beautiful.

"Anytime." He told her with a smile and then walked out the door.

"I thought something happened, you had me worried." He said with a laugh.

"Uh, I just fell asleep…" he mumbled to him, "… so what are we doing again?"

"We're going…" Tom answered after he shook his head at Shizuo's forgetfulness.

* * *

><p>"You seem overly happy for spending Christmas with your family." Namie said as Izaya typed on his computer and hummed happily to himself.<p>

"I spent it with Doka-chan too~!" he sang happily.

"She went with you to your parents' house?" she asked and he nodded, "Poor girl that had to be horrible."

"Actually I think she enjoyed herself just as much as I did." He said with a smirk.

"Didn't you spend the night there?" she asked and he nodded to that too, "I know it's none of my business but don't you think it's a bad idea to get romantically involved with someone you're trying to break?"

"Are my emotions for her that obvious?" he asked her with surprise.

"You've practically floated around here all evening…" she said to him and he smiled.

"Well, I do love her." He said with a smile, "She's one of the most interesting humans I've ever seen but she's only interesting by herself."

"So she doesn't fit into any of your games?" Namie said to him and he shook his head.

"I am playing a game with her, only it's a very serious game Namie-chan." He said with a smile, "But like any game I play, I will win."

"You sound like your trying to convince yourself…" she mumbled but he heard her clearly.

"I… I wish I could say you're wrong without lying." He told her and she glanced over at him in surprise.

"You love her as more than a human, don't you?" She said with a smile as Izaya smirked back at her.

"I love her just as much as you love that dear brother of yours." He said narrowing his eyes. Namie quickly dropped the subject since she knew where it was heading.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Namie-chan answer that will you." He told her and she sighed and walked over to the door. A man wearing a white lab coat stood outside the door, she didn't recognize him, but let him in anyway.

"Are-are you Orihara Izaya, the information broker?" The man bluntly yet nervously asked when he saw Izaya.

"Whoever you heard that from is very right my good sir." He said standing up and walking over to the man, "So I take it your looking for information?"

"Yes, uh, I'm sorry for not introducing myself, my name is Makisawa Hotaka." He said bowing to Izaya.

"Pleasure to meet you Makisawa-san, so what do you need information about?" Izaya skip his usual antics and just asked him.

"I'm actually looking for someone and I was hoping you could track them down, you see she's sort of on the run, she burnt an insane asylum to the ground with my employees and the patients still inside, she's very dangerous and well skilled." He told him and Izaya nodded as he wondered who this interesting human could be, "Her name is Makisawa Madoka."

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>If you thought the last chapter was a cliff hanger well this one will keep you on your toes! Two votes for Shizuo and FIVE for Izaya... The ending may be coming soon and so far it looks like Izaya is gonna get the girl~! Oh and I read somewhere that Izaya is sometimes respectful with his clients so that's why he addresses Hotaka with his last name. So you now know Madoka's last name. I hope you liked the Shizuo fluff! Oh and please vote if you think Madoka should end up with **Izaya** or **Shizuo**! And my anonymous reviewer, I'm glad that you think they're still the same yet not! I was really trying to keep them from becoming OOC! Thanks for reviewing! Ladybug out~!


	11. Making Her Crazy

"Good morning Izaya-kun." Madoka said to him as she walked over to his desk after Namie let her in.

"Good morning, beautiful~." He purred at her and she blushed but walked over and perched herself on the usual corner of his desk.

Izaya glanced over at Namie who was watching him. He looked from her to the door and she nodded knowing what he meant and then left. Madoka noticed Namie leave but didn't really think about it as she read over Izaya's shoulder as usual.

"So Doka-chan will you tell me about yourself today?" he asked her as he turned from his desk and looked at her.

"Only if you tell me about yourself." She said with a smile.

"What do you want to know?" He said and she blinked blankly and then smiled.

"Everything…" she told him and he sighed.

* * *

><p>An hour or so later Izaya was done telling her about his entire childhood, his teenage years, when he realized he loved all humans, and when he realized he loved her. They were sitting on his sofa and she leaning again the arm of the sofa facing him. Izaya was, of course, right next to her with his body positioned so he could watch her every movement, her every reaction, and just her in particular.<p>

"So, now that I've told you everything, tell me about you." He said leaning closer to her.

"Well… I spent my entire childhood in the basement of an insane asylum…" she said watching to see if he found this at all strange, but his expression remained blank, devoid of any emotion, "… the only person I ever saw for eleven years of my life was my father, when I turned twelve I saw another person for the first time. It was kind of weird being around people for the first time, I didn't know how to act around anyone, I watched how they acted around each other, and I learned that way.

"The girl I told you about was my first friend; she had been raped or something and just lost her mind, she couldn't speak and her cried like I told you, her parents brought her there because they couldn't handle her anymore. I guess she picked me out of everyone and sort of clung to me…" She looked away from Izaya's blank face and bit her lip; he could tell she was nervous about what she was thinking about saying, "… When he killed her, it was lunchtime and everyone was in the cafeteria, this boy, he would just snap randomly."

"Like Shizu-chan does?" Izaya asked her and she shook her head.

"No, Shizuo-kun snaps for a reason, this kid would just be talking to you with a cheerful smile and then choke you for no apparent reason and then he wouldn't remember doing it sometimes. Anyway she was walking into the cafeteria when he snapped and the patrons didn't stop him in time…" her voice broke and she closed her eyes.

"Madoka-chan," Izaya said reaching over and stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, "please don't cry."

"… She spoke… she screamed for me to help her but I couldn't get close…" Izaya realized his words were in vain as tears escaped Madoka's closed eyes. Izaya pulled her into his arms to comfort her and she buried her face in his chest for a moment and then looked up at him and smiled, "… I killed him though; I hid his body where no one would ever find it."

"Revenge isn't all that sweet is it?" he asked her and she lowered eyes and buried her face back into his chest for a moment.

"Not much happened after that for a few years, I mostly just drifted through life sort of depressed, and then these kids decided they wanted to commit suicide and they asked for my help. I agreed and then the night they had picked I went through the entire building and took out everyone that would get in their way. I set fire to every exit like they asked but I left since I had never planned on dying anyway. I… hadn't really thought about the other people there until I remember that the fire alarm released the locks on everything. They went to the roof but the fire kept rising until there were flaming bodies leaping off the roof to their deaths… I can still hear their screams…" Izaya soothed her by smoothing out her hair as she balled her left hand into a fist against his chest and pulled some of his shirt into her hand, while her right clamped down on his right hand.

"So, your father, he died along with the people you took out in order to set the fire?" Izaya asked and she shook her head.

"No, he was probably at home with his wife when the fire happened." She said to him.

"How'd you find out he was married?" Izaya asked her.

"I saw her staring at me and then when he saw her he was like "Honey what are you doing here?" and she completely ignored what he was saying and asked, "Why does that child look just like you?" he told her it was mere coincidence that I looked like him."

"Did you know your mother?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"No, but the place only had teenagers so she couldn't have been very old when he…" she got quiet and Izaya paused in running his fingers though her hair, "… He's a bastard."

"That sounds like something Shizu-chan would say, I think he's beginning to become a bad influence on you." Izaya said to her and she smiled as he began stroking her hair again.

"Izaya-kun, you know how I like you right?" she asked nervously.

"Mmhm." He hummed to her.

"I… I kind of like Shizuo too…" she said and he stiffened.

"What?" he said with an edge to his voice.

"I just, I…" she bit her but looked up at his face, "… I'm just not sure which one of you I… I love…"

"Makisawa Hotaka is looking for you." He said to her and her eyes got wide, "I can get him to think you died in that fire Madoka-chan, or I can tell him where you live."

"Are you trying to blackmail me into loving you Izaya-kun?" she said with a smile, "Do you want me to love you or secretly loath you while pretending to love you?"

"…" Izaya began to say something to her but stopped and closed his mouth and looked away from her, "… I'll keep him off your trail until you figure your emotions out, but I want something in return."

"What?" she asked him and he smiled down at her.

"_If_ you pick Shizu-chan," he said it as if he hardly believed she liked the protozoan, "I want you to tell him how amazing a kisser I was."

Izaya bent his head down and kissed her roughly and smiled mentally as she put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He slid his hand that was no longer in her grasp down her back and then he squeezed her butt which caused her to gasp and he took advantage of her parted lips to slip his tongue in and taste her bitter sweetness. He massaged his tongue against hers and she moaned involuntarily. He pulled away from her and smiled as he looked at her flushed cheeks, parted lips, and her eyes that were half mast.

"Why… why'd you stop?" she said breathing heavily.

"Fine," he said in a husky voice, "I won't stop until you tell me too."

* * *

><p>"I-Izaya-kun… stop…" Madoka said between kisses as she pushed against his chest. Izaya was on top of her as they made out. She knew if she didn't stop him soon that there would be no stopping him.<p>

"'Kay…" He mumbled and sat up as he breathed heavily and just smirked at her. Izaya loved how flustered she always got when he kissed her. He knew why she stopped him and he was slightly disappointed by that fact. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his entire life, or at least as far as he could remember, but he would be patient for her.

"I-I should go home." She said sitting up and looking away from him shyly. Izaya was fascinated by this new shy side of her but at the same time he missed the more adventurous side to her.

"You can stay here if you want." He told her and she shook her head.

"I have work today, so I don't think I should miss it." She told him and he smiled.

"You know if you were mine, you would never have to work again." He told her with a smile.

"Uh-huh." She said standing up and smoothing out her shirt, "Well I'll see you later."

"Maybe I'll come by Russia Sushi tonight." He said to her with a smile as she walked to the door, "I'll miss you until we meet again, my love."

She didn't say anything to that as she walked out the door, and Izaya couldn't help but wonder what was going through that pretty little head of hers. Izaya took this moment alone to go take a cold shower to get rid of _something_…

* * *

><p>Madoka pulled her coat around her tightly as she walked home from work. Izaya didn't actually show up which annoyed her a little until she saw Shizuo. She could see the cuts in his bartender uniform and knew why Izaya hadn't come to see her.<p>

"Shizuo-kun what happened?" she asked and he all but snarled.

"What do you think happened?" he said angrily, "I ran that damned Flea out of 'Bukuro again."

"Yeah… he was just going to come see me at work." She said to him and he stared at her for a moment.

"I really wish you didn't like him, he's not a good person ya know." He said to her and she smirked.

"Is anyone really good though, Shizuo-kun?" she asked him with a smile, "Honestly, do you think I'm a good person?"

"Well no one is completely good but I don't think you're a bad person." He said and she laughed.

"Shizuo-kun you really don't know me…" she said shaking her head, "… then again know one really does."

Shizuo didn't know what she meant by that but he could feel malice coming from her again as she smirked. It wasn't directed at him but he wondered if she was all there. He knew about all the things she had done but it didn't bother him. Madoka smiled up at him and the malice vanished.

"Well anyway I'm beat so I'll see you whenever." She said to him as they walked up the steps that led to their apartments.

"'Kay well I'll be home if you wanna talk." He said and pecked her on the cheek quickly before he walked into his apartment.

Madoka couldn't help the sigh that escaped from her lips as she thought about how Shizuo was taking a sweeter, slower approach while Izaya was, well, just being Izaya. Shizuo was being himself too but… She couldn't stop thinking about Izaya's mouth on hers. It made her heart pound faster as she opened the door to her apartment and stepped inside. Madoka still wasn't sure who she loved but once again Izaya was taking up the majority of her thoughts. He was winning that tug-of-war that was taking place in her heart. He was driving her insane, but hey, sanity is in vain after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>Okay... Three for Shizuo and six for Izaya. After people vote on this chapter I'm not going to take anymore votes. Right now it really looks like she's going to be with Izaya. I think they actually make a good pair. I'm not sure after the little scene with Izaya if I should keep the rated T rating and go M once again. I've noticed Shizuo is kind of stuck in the best friend role and is probably going to stay there. Oh well. I hope you enjoyed the fluff with Izaya~! Hehe... he had to take a cold shower... hehehe. Ladybug out~~!


	12. I love you

She kept mulling it over as she walked down the street. She had avoided them both for a while but she knew it wouldn't last much longer. Shizuo had knocked on her door last night and talked to her door. Well at least he voiced that he thought he was talking to her door.

"I don't know if you're mad or something, maybe you're not here… and you're not actually avoiding me but… aw what the hell… I give up." She had listened as he went back over to his apartment and slammed his door. She knew he was probably pissed off about her absents but there was no helping it. Madoka needed to think about her next move; after all it was going to be her last.

Izaya she actually told to leave her alone for a while. He understood that she needed to think about who she really wanted. He was keeping her father off her trail as best he could and so far she had gone about the city like she usually did. In all her twenty years she had never been as paranoid as she was now. Perhaps it was because she wasn't really paranoid before but now she wondered if her father had people looking for her. She didn't know what he was capable of, other than the fighting tactics he had taught her, and she didn't know who he was involved with.

She did know one thing was for sure, Izaya had people watching her but he let her know who they were. Simon while she was at work, Celty and Kyohei with his gang when she was out on the streets and then there were some he didn't tell her that was watching. Izaya said that she wouldn't notice them but they would notice her. It unnerved her to know that Izaya had so many contacts around Ikebukuro and that most of them had an eye on her for him. He promised he wouldn't let anything happen to her no matter what.

It had been a whole week since she had seen him. It was starting to drive her mad, she found herself missing him far more than she missed Shizuo. She would never admit that of course, but it was true. She missed him most of all. She _loved_ him after all.

* * *

><p>Izaya felt agitated, it wasn't something he was used to feeling. He knew damn well why he was feeling this way as well. Madoka was the only thing on his mind and he couldn't focus on anything. She hadn't even called him, not that he had given the numbers to any of his phones to her, but still it wasn't all that difficult for her to contact him. He knew where she was of course, she was walking home from work and as soon as she got home the neighbor that was next to Shizu-chan's apartment would call him and let him know she got home safely.<p>

He glanced over at his computer and finally forced himself to do some work for a while, once he had finished everything he logged into the usual chat room and asked Celty, in private message of course, if she had seen Madoka. She told him that she had seen her leaving work about fifteen minutes ago, but she had taken a different route. That made Izaya slightly worried, okay more than slightly, it made him really worried. Madoka was just like any human, she had a routine and she hardly broke it.

Izaya asked her if she could track Madoka for him and she agreed. Knowing that Celty would be watching out for Madoka he felt better, a little, but still it was an improvement. He watched the clock tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…

"Ah! I can't take it anymore!" Izaya shouted to his empty loft and then stood up and pulled on his jacket.

[Can you see her anywhere?] Izaya texted Celty as he made his way towards the door.

[She just walked into the building you live in.] Celty's speedy reply made Izaya pause at the door. Madoka was here?

The door in front of him swung open and nearly hit him but he stepped back in time, but only to be knocked to the ground as Madoka tackled him.

"I missed you." She said sitting up and smiling down at him, "uh sorry for glomping you."

"I missed you… too…" he said staring up at her, "… you worried me you know."

"Sorry Izaya-kun." She said bending down and kissing his forehead, "So… um, I-I wanted to tell you that –"

"Orihara-san?" They both looked up at the sound of that voice. Madoka's blood ran cold at the sight of her father.

"Makisawa-san I think I found your daughter." Izaya said to him nonchalantly as Madoka jumped to her feet and Izaya followed suit.

"Madoka-chan, do you have any idea how worried I was?" Hotaka said taking a step towards his daughter. She moved to hide behind Izaya and he could feel the fear that poured off of her.

"I'm not going back…" she said and Izaya could feel her shaking behind him but he didn't dare turn away from Hotaka.

"Madoka-chan you aren't well my dear, you have to go back." He told her and she stilled for a moment behind Izaya.

"She's not going anywhere." Izaya finally spoke to him and he looked at Izaya.

"Or-Orihara-san..?" he looked back and forth between the two, "… ah I see why I wasn't getting anywhere with you."

"She's not going with you Makisawa-san, Madoka-chan is staying with me." He said and the man in front of him shook his head.

"I've told you everything she's done and yet you're going to keep her around you?" Hotaka said with a cold laugh, "She'll kill you when you least expect it."

"I won't kill someone I love." Madoka spoke and Izaya almost turned around to look at her out of shock, "you don't need me, so, j-just leave."

"I'll leave you alone for the time being but one slip up Madoka-chan and the only thing you'll ever see are the walls of a padded cell." Hotaka said as he backed up and then shut the door, leaving the two alone.

Izaya stepped forward and locked his door and then turned around and looked at Madoka. She looked shaken but otherwise fine, but he asked anyway, "Are you okay?"

"… Yeah…" she said and then stepped forward and locked her arms around him, "… He wasn't lying about me slipping up…"

"What did he mean by that?" Izaya asked as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"He saw me kill that boy." She said and then swallowed nervously, "he saw how happy I was killing someone…"

"You haven't killed anyone since have you?" he asked, "I mean besides with the fire."

"No… I haven't had a reason to kill anyone." Madoka said and then buried her face into his chest.

"Did you mean that?" he asked her as he began to stroke her hair, "Do you really love me?"

"Yes." She said as she looked up at him, "I love you."

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>Okay. Do you want me to continue this? Madoka still hasn't told Shizuo yet. Oh and It was Izaya ten and Shizuo five. Izaya got the girl... sorry Shizuo fans. I'm going to write one where he gets the girl eventually so just watch out for that one. Also if I continue from this point do you want me to try to pair Shizuo with someone? I already have an idea for who I'll set him up with and how they'll meet (which will be beyond hilarious, or to me at least) but if none of you want me to keep going I'm cool with it. I'm actually going to set it as complete when I post this... so really it's already set as complete... haha... Ladybug out~!


	13. Hurt

"Morning…" Madoka said as Izaya opened his eyes.

"Good morning to you too…" he said and then kissed her forehead, "… did you sleep well?"

"You have a freaking water bed; of course I slept well." She said rolling her eyes at him as he smiled at her.

"What time is it?" he asked and she looked over his shoulder to see the clock.

"A little after twelve." She told him and he sat up quickly.

"Why didn't Namie-chan wake me up this morning!" he said getting out of bed and pulling off his bed clothes which caused Madoka to become red faced. She was far from used to his cool attitude about his body. Izaya may have made her move in with him, but they still hadn't done _anything_. He told her that it was up to her when she wanted to give up her virginity and she obviously wasn't ready for that yet.

"You gave her the day off remember." Madoka said before throwing her face into a pillow to hide her blushing cheeks.

"Did I cancel my appointments for the morning?" he asked her and she looked up and shrugged but threw her face back into the pillow at the sight of his nude form, "Aw~ you're so cute when your being shy."

"Shu up." Her words were muffled by the pillow as he grabbed clean clothes out of his closet and smirked at her.

"Humans are social creatures my love, it's only natural that I talk so much." He said to her and she waved her hand in the air to show that she was actually listening, "Well I'm going to go take a shower, I'd really enjoy it if you joined me~."

"Not gonna happen today." She said lifting her head from the pillow but not looking at him.

"Well it was worth a shot." He said with a shrug and then went to the bathroom. Madoka got out of bed when she heard him shut the bathroom door. She went into the kitchen and started making coffee even though it was noon. She made tea for Izaya since she wasn't sure if he'd want coffee this late. She was tired since he would stay up most of the night working or talking to her and he would normally get up at the crack of dawn and wake her up too.

Nightmares didn't help matters either, but Izaya would hold her until the tears subsided. Madoka sighed lovingly at the very thought of how it felt when Izaya would hold her. She loved the feel of his arms around her and the feel of his body pressed against hers. She jumped when she felt arms actually wrap around her.

"What were you thinking about?" Izaya asked her as she turned around and looked at him, "you had such a loving expression…"

"I was thinking about you…" she said pressing her forehead to his and closing her eyes, "… I'm kind of tired; I'm going back to bed."

"'Kay, I love you." He said and then kissed her lightly on the lips, "Sweet dreams."

* * *

><p>Shizuo wasn't angry. He just needed to get his frustration out, and that was why he took out those frustrations by throwing a vending machine and a few of Tom and his annoying clients around. Tom wasn't sure what he was upset about but he knew had to get to the bottom of it.<p>

"Shizuo-kun you can't throw people around like that." Tom said to him as he shook his head. The blonde brute just grunted and shrugged in reply. "I know it's none of my business… but is something bothering you?"

"Yeah…" Shizuo admitted to him and then sighed, "… you know I liked her, Madoka-san I mean."

"Yea, it was pretty obvious, that's why I backed off." Tom told him and Shizuo nodded.

"She… admitted that she liked me but… she liked the Flea too." Shizuo said to him and he stared at him with obvious surprise, "She said that she was going to pick one of us, and I haven't seen her in almost a month."

"You don't think that she picked him over you?" Tom said with disbelief.

"Celty-san said that she saw them together in Shinjuku, so yeah, she picked him over me and she still hasn't told me, I wonder if she'll even try to face me." He said as he kept his voice completely devoid emotions.

"I'm sorry man." Tom said shaking his head, "That's just cruel that she didn't even tell you."

"I'll get over it." He mumbled and Tom nodded and then changed the subject.

"Well our next client is a woman, so don't get angry with her, alright." Tom said and Shizuo grunted in comply and followed his friend.

Shizuo managed to keep his cool since the girl actually had the money for her debt. She scurried off as soon as she didn't have to deal with them anymore. Tom told him to go on home and that he would see him tomorrow. Tom also said something about blind or date or something but Shizuo wasn't really paying attention. He sure wished he had been.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>Haha! I had you going there for a second with 'our next client is a woman' thing didn't I? Don't worry he'll get a girlfriend~! The story is about to take a turn from being all about Madoka and Izaya to Shizuo and the new mysterious girl none of you know about yet... I already have an idea about how she's gonna act and all that jazz. She's going to a gothic loltia type of a girl (Harajuku girl basically) and I might give her a Tsundere type personality. Tell me what you think, please? (Oh and sorry for the filler here I just wanted you all to know I'm still writing for this story even though it's set to 'complete'!) Ladybug out~!


	14. Something's off

"… Why didn't you tell me about this yesterday?" Shizuo asked Tom after he told him about contacting an old friend of his. He had set Shizuo up on a blind date, only it was more of test date to see if they could get along.

"I did, you just didn't listen." Tom said with a smile even though he was slightly annoyed by Shizuo ignoring him. Akihayashi Yuka wasn't someone that Tom would normally consider setting Shizuo up with. They became friends when they met in high school and despite her wild and crazy antics he had stuck with her. It was somewhat like how he was with Shizuo in middle school, only he wasn't as worried about getting killed when it came to Shizuo.

"So why are you making me do this again?" Shizuo asked grumpily. He didn't want to go out with this girl especially after Tom told him he was only coming along so that Shizuo didn't get in trouble because of her.

"You… you keep moping around and I figured she could cheer you up." He said to him slightly nervously. He was more nervous about her, sure he'd heard she had calmed down but he heard rumors from time to time. Yuka was involved with the yakuza in Harajuku or she had gotten into a fight with so in so from the Awakusu and many other things worse than those. The girl was –

"Tom-kun~!" He blinked at the red haired girl that was now hugging the air out of his lungs. She took a step back and smiled cheerfully at him and he looked at her and realized it was Yuka.

"Yuka-chan…?" Tom said in surprise as he looked her over. She was wearing a leather jacket over a corset and a lacy skirt with fish net leggings. She never dressed like a girl before and Tom was a little shocked to see her. "… you look… different."

"Oh yeah I forgot you haven't seen me since high school." She said with a laugh, "I guess living in the fashion capital of the world took its toll on me."

"Your hair is red." Tom said to her, "When'd you dye it?"

"I think a few days ago, it was blue before this." She said with a shrug, "I change it all the time."

"You never could make up your mind about anything." He said with a laugh, "Oh this is my friend Heiwajima Shizuo."

"Nice to meet you Heiwajima-san, my name is Akihayashi Yuka." She said bowing to him slightly.

"Nice to meet you too." Shizuo mumbled to her as he stood there awkwardly, since Tom had never really told her that he was going to try to set them up together.

"Are you really as dangerous as everyone says?" she asked him with a smile. Tom glanced over at Shizuo who blinked at her in surprise. Yuka was the kind of girl that just said whatever she wanted with no hesitation, which could get her into some trouble considering how smart mouthed she was.

"Yeah…" he said with a shrug, "… are you really a trouble maker?"

"Tom-kun have you been telling him about our high school days?" she said cheerfully but he could hear the slightly annoyed edge to her voice.

"Uh, no, I might have mentioned that you almost got me beaten up a few times." He said as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Yuka just shrugged nonchalantly at his words but smiled anyway.

"Yeah, well, I'm not one for fighting anymore." She said but Tom wasn't sure if she was lying, "so what have you been up to since high school?"

"I'm a debt collector." He told her with a shrug.

"I figured you'd get into something to do with money." She said with a laugh.

"What about you?" He asked and she shrugged.

"I'd rather not say." She said and he could see her socially retreating away from the subject.

"_This is going to be a long day…"_ Tom thought to himself.

* * *

><p>"She's okay I guess." Shizuo said with a shrug.<p>

"Yeah… I feel like something was off about her." Tom said and Shizuo glance over at him.

"Are you going to… hang out with her again?" Shizuo mumbled as he tried to think of the right words.

"I could see if she'd be willing to do a double date?" Tom said in more of a question than a statement.

"Okay." Shizuo said with a shrug, "See you later."

"Wait, you did hear what I just said right?" Tom said and Shizuo looked over his shoulder at him with an annoyed expression.

"Yeah, I heard what you said." He grumbled before he walked on down the street. Tom couldn't help but smile at that. Maybe Shizuo thought she was attractive after all. Tom didn't really think about if she was attractive or not, he still thought of her as that silly kid that always talked herself into trouble and out of it when she needed to.

Something was off though. She wasn't the same, maybe she had just matured since she had gotten older, or maybe she was hiding something, whichever it was he couldn't tell. She was good at keeping her mouth shut when she really needed to, but still she was never this quiet. Yuka used to talk his arm off and tonight he was stuck between two quiet people with no one to talk to. Maybe it had something to do with him asking about her line of work, she had gotten quiet after that. Tom shook his head and started off towards home. Whatever was going on with her was none of his business and he knew to keep his nose out of it.

* * *

><p>The sound of stiletto boots echoed across the roof top as Yuka walked toward the railing. She began pulling pieces of some sort of machine out of the inside pockets of her jacket and putting them together. The last piece was the scope she put on the end of what turned out to be a gun. With a completely blank expression she looked through the scope and looked at the windows on the building across the street. Yamamoto Kurou, five feet eight inches tall, graying hair, ninth floor, tenth window to the right.<p>

Yuka pulled the trigger and the glass shattered where the man had been sitting there in front of the computer had been. From the view she was getting through the scope he was now slumped over his computer with blood pouring from the hole in his head.

She began to pull apart the weapon and put it piece by piece back into her jacket. Once that was done she pulled out her cell phone dialed a number and waited a moment.

"Hello?"

"Shiki-san?" she asked.

"Yes, who is this?" He asked her and she smiled.

"The problem has been taken care of; I'll come for my payment tomorrow."

Click.

She put her phone back in the pocket of her jacket and walked back to the fire escape she had climbed up and went back to the street. Her job was done for the day.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble:<strong> So what do you think of Yuka? I think she's even more badass than Madoka~! Well... maybe... Shizuo doesn't really have an opinion of her yet but eventually he'll grow to like her. It'll be slower since he's broken hearted and all. (*fangirl moment* Aww... Poor Shizuo-kun...) Anyway reviews, alerts, favorites please! Ladybug out~!


	15. Broken Hearted

Yuka stared at the drink she had ordered while Tom talked to the girl, whose name she hadn't bothered to remember, and sat next to Shizuo who was being equally as quiet as her. The girl dragged Tom off to the dance floor of the club leaving the two alone. Yuka couldn't help but smile over at Shizuo and finally threw back the shot.

"I didn't know Tom-kun was such a ladies' man." She said and then laughed at her own comment, "He wasn't into slutty girls in high school."

"He's probably just trying to see the good in her…" Shizuo mumbled to her.

"Or he's trying to get _in_ her." Yuka shuddered at her own words before waving the bartender over and ordering another drink, "so, why do you dress like a bartender if you aren't one, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I used to be a bartender; my brother gave me a bunch of bartender uniforms so I wear them because of him." He told her and she smiled.

"I used to have a brother." She said simply and didn't push the subject any further.

"You guys should come dance it's a lot of fun~!" The girl that Tom brought with him said as she plopped onto the bar stool next to Yuka. They both glanced at her for a moment and then went back to staring at whatever they had been before. "… oh kay then…"

"Leave them alone, they'll dance when they want to." Tom said grabbing the girl's hand and dragging her back to the dance floor.

"The hell I will…" Yuka said rolling her eyes.

"I was just about to say that." Shizuo said with a laugh. The sound made Yuka smile a little.

"So, Shizuo-san, if you hate dancing as much as I do, would you much rather go somewhere else?" she asked him and he shrugged.

"Depends on where you're thinking of going?" he said looking over at the girl.

"I haven't been to that Russia Sushi place since I was sixteen, and I was just thinking about going there earlier today, so would you like to go with me?" She said to him.

"Like, now?" he asked her and she nodded with smile.

* * *

><p>Shizuo glanced over at the girl dressed in leather and lace that was walking next to him. She probably would've been a whole head shorter than him if she wasn't wearing six inch heels, but she was just a little shorter than him. She was wearing a lacy undershirt with long sleeves with a leather corset dress and a lacy skirt that matched her shirt under the corset dress. Shizuo couldn't deny that she looked good, better than Madoka ever did, but she was quiet and he hated the silence that was no longer filled by Madoka. Who would've thought that a guy like him would have liked a talkative girl like Madoka?<p>

"So, who was she?" Yuka broke the silence.

"What?" he said in confusion.

"It's pretty obvious your heart broken." She said to him with a blank expression, "I really shouldn't have asked that, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He said with a shrug, "she was a friend that fell in love with my enemy."

"Orihara Izaya?" she said looking up at him as his eye twitched at the name, "I met that rat when I was in high school, and I hate him too."

"At least we have something in common." He said with a slight smile.

"Other than the dislike of dancing and having Tom-kun as a friend." She giggled at his lack of noticing their likes besides that, "So how'd you meet that piece of shit?"

"My friend introduced us and we got into a fight, we hated each other from the moment we met, and I chased him through the city and he led me in front of a truck." Shizuo had balled his hands into fists by now and was looking like he was about to punch something.

"He talked my brother into killing himself." She said with a smile, "there's no proof of course but I'm pretty sure it was him considering he had a vendetta against me."

"What'd you do to piss him off?" he asked her and she smiled up at him.

"I'd rather not say." She said looking away from him.

"Shi-zu-o-san, you eat sushi?" Simon said to him, "Your girly friend eat sushi too?"

"Yeah we'll eat sushi." She said as Shizuo started to say they weren't together.

* * *

><p>Madoka ran into the back of Izaya as they walked down the street towards Russia Sushi and when she looked over his shoulder she saw Shizuo. She felt horrible for not telling him and just leaving him without an answer to who she loved, but then she noticed <em>her<em>.

Shortly chopped red hair, skin a thousand times paler than her own, and an hour glass shape even Madoka had to admire. The girl was drop dead gorgeous and obviously from the way Shizuo was checking her out he must have gotten over his heart break pretty quickly. Glancing at her boyfriend she saw that rather than him watching his enemy, he was watching that girl.

"Izaya-kun, what are you looking at?" Madoka asked with an obviously jealous edge to her voice.

"Uh, nothing." He said turning towards her, "Let's go somewhere else, okay?"

"Okay, but you know I'll have to face him sometime." She said to him.

"Yeah, but just don't do it with that woman around." He said with a bit of a warning in his voice.

"Okay Izaya-kun~…" she said as he put an arm around her and pulled her close as they walked down the street.

* * *

><p>"You've got to be kidding me!" Yuka said with a laugh.<p>

"No, he really did, it was beyond hilarious." Shizuo said as he laughed too, "Of course I thought he was dead and I was like 'Tom-san, don't die!' and then he sat up and mumbled, 'Shizuo-san, I'm not dead I just fell,' and then he threw his face back into the dirt and laid there."

"He should never drink and walk down stairs." She said shaking her head and giggling.

"They should put _that_ on a sign." He chuckled at her.

"I agree." She said to him with a cheerful smile.

"You want more tea?" Simon asked them as he poked his head into the booth.

"Uh, no thanks Simon-san." Shizuo said as she shook her head no.

"Okay, you behave yourselves now." Simon said as he closed the door to the booth. Yuka began to laugh at the look on Shizuo's face when Simon said that but she held it in until the door was closed.

"He acts like I'm still kid in high school." Shizuo mumbled shaking his head.

"Sometimes it's fun just to act like a kid again though." She said with a smile, "I have you ever tried it?"

"Pff, I spent most of my high school years getting in fights or getting dragged into this place to eat sushi against my will." He said looking away from her.

"You mean you never did anything like date, sneak into clubs, or made out with someone in a random classroom just to see if you'd get caught?" she asked him like he was the weirdest person she'd ever seen.

"Girls never really showed an interest in me and I didn't go to a club until I turned twenty." Shizuo told her and she shook her head.

"If I knew you in high school I would've made out with you." She said and then blushed when she realized what she had just said, "I mean, uh…"

"…" Shizuo blinked at her outburst as a blush ran across his cheeks as well.

"Let's just pretend like I didn't say that." She said and then looked at her hands.

Yuka couldn't help herself. The man was handsome and she wished Tom would've introduced them when she was in high school, then again she probably wouldn't have been interested in him emotionally. She probably wouldn't have been interested in him at all; after all she had only been with one guy all through high school.

"On second thought I'm going to go." She said and then slid open the door to the booth and went out.

This always happened when she though a guy was somewhat attractive. She'd think about _him_ and then get all emotional. He had moved on and she needed to the same, she just needed to forget about the damned past and get over it. Shizuo might just be the man that could help her forget pain but she didn't want to drag out all the ghosts of her past on him.

"_I should have just told Tom-kun that I had plans…"_ she thought as she walked down the street, _"… But I hate lying to him; he's always been honest with me."_

"Uh, hey wait, Yuka-san!" Shizuo called to her and she paused and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Shizuo-san, I should really get back to my apartment." She said to him when he caught up to her.

"Um, then can I walk you home?" he asked her and she smiled and nodded.

"Sure, I'd like that."

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>So... How do you like Yuka so far? Shizuo finds her interesting in a 'whoa she's hot' sort of way. Izaya knows her from when he used to troll in high school. She is sort of depressed and heart broken like Shizuo so maybe they can heal each other's broken hearts... (aww cute~). Sorry if you guys miss Madoka but it's going to be set around Yuka now, (*thinks* maybe I should've separated these and just made a sequel to sainty is in vain...*thinks*) and if you don't like her... sorry. She's sweet, promise~! She's just Tsundere. Tough at first sweet and gentle in the end or acts tough even though she's actually gentle and sweet... hmm... haven't decided which kind of Tsundere she'll be yet. Anyway... Ladybug out~!


	16. Mistakes Will Be Made

_Flash back…_

"You know we're going to get caught." Yuka giggled as he kissed her neck.

"Isn't that the idea?" he whispered into her ear, "They'll probably be wondering why a boy from Raijin is doing here."

"You mean other than the obvious…"she said and then kissed him again, "… mm…"

"You're such a…" she cut off his trail of words with her mouth, "… bad girl."

"Oh and you're the nicest guy in the world huh Izaya-kun?" she asked as he moved back to kissing her neck and sliding his hands further up her smooth hips.

"You bet ya." He mumbled against her soft skin.

… _Flash back over…_

* * *

><p>Izaya sat there writing to one of his sources and asking for any info they could give him on his ex from high school. Yuka never came to this part of Tokyo because of Izaya and he was very curious as to why she had, and why she was with Heiwajima Shizuo. From the things he would occasionally hear about her, she wasn't interested in fighting hand to hand anymore, then again he doubted she wanted to fight Shizuo. She used to be a brawler back in high school though… Nah, she hated fighting anyway.<p>

[She got a job from the Awakusu.] His source sent to him, [She's been seen with an old friend of hers, Tanaka Tom, they went to bar last night with Heiwajima Shizuo, and a girl I have yet to dig anything up on.]

[Do you know what they did after they went to the bar?] Izaya asked them.

[Heiwajima and her left the bar together and went to Russia Sushi; he walked her to an apartment she's staying at in Ikebukuro, after that he went to his apartment.] Izaya smiled happily.

[What's the address to the apartment she's staying at?]

"Namie-chan, if Madoka-chan wakes up before I get back tell her I went for a walk." Izaya said to her as he slid on his fur rimmed jacket.

"Whatever." Namie said as she filed some things for him.

* * *

><p>Tom walked sleepily next to Shizuo as they went to see their next client. Shizuo had gone home at eleven while Tom has stayed out for a while longer. Shizuo actually had a good time with Yuka; she was fun to talk to when she was talkative.<p>

"So did you have fun last night?" Tom asked more to keep himself awake then anything.

"Yeah, Yuka-san was fun to talk." Shizuo said with a shrug, "what about you?"

"I had fun." Tom said with a smile, "So you want to see Yuka-chan again?"

"I'll think about it." He said with a little smile.

* * *

><p>Izaya walked into the apartment after he picked the lock. He had to admit Yuka still had a good eye when it came to decorating. It reminded him of his loft only it had a more feminine touch and didn't look as lived in as his. He knew it was her design that graced the apartment since she owned the building. She owned apartment buildings all over Tokyo and even a few in the states. Yuka kept an apartment for herself in each place, and if she really wanted to she could sleep in a different place every day of the week in Tokyo.<p>

Harajuku was her favorite by far of course. Izaya knew that despite her tom boyish attitude when she was younger she loved fashion and shopping. He was still surprised that she dressed the way she had the other night but at the same time he wasn't surprised.

"What are you doing in my apartment Orihara-san?" Yuka's voice was calm and unsurprised. Izaya turned around from his snooping to smile happily at her, where as she just glared frigidly at him.

"Looking for you of course~!" He said cheerily as he took the sight of her in. She was wearing a hot pink tank top and black shorts and she had a gym bag slung over her shoulder. She was sweaty and had obviously just got back from the gym that was in the building. Having a fitness junky as a land lord had its benefits he supposed.

"Get the hell out." She said to him and he smiled and sat down on her sofa.

"Sorry but I don't feel like going anywhere." He told her and she glared at him.

"Okay, so what do you want?" she said folding her arms across her chest unhappily.

"What are you doing back in Ikebukuro?" he asked knowing it was safer to not dance around things with her.

"Work and I've been hanging out with a friend from high school." She told him plainly.

"Will any of this 'work' you're doing get in the way of my work?" he asked her and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm not dealing with information anymore." She told him simply, "Now please leave."

"Very well then." He said standing up and smiling, "So how do you like Heiwajima Shizuo so far?"

"He's okay." She said knowing that if she didn't answer with something he'd never leave.

"You know he'll never be as gentle with you as I was." He whispered into her ear as he walked by her. She flinched at that but didn't say or do anything. The stupid mistakes she made with Izaya were not something she particularly liked having thrown in her face but it wasn't like she could do anything about it when it was coming from the man himself. Well, she couldn't do anything about it just yet anyway.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>So I take it the only one that's still reading this is xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx. I thank you for the reviews you've sent to me since I started writing about Yuka. If anyone else is reading this I would really like to know what you think of her. Please? I love reviews. *crys a little* I willy willy miss them. (Sorry for the begging) Anyway review please! I hoped you liked this small filler chapter! Ladybug out~!


	17. Don't Cross

Yuka enjoyed the peace her life gave her. She didn't have any problems with her work as a land lord (among other things) since she hired people to handle any kind of mishaps her tenants may have. Assassinating people didn't give her any problems either since the people that could give her any problems were very, very dead. She had a peaceful life and she very much enjoyed it.

Shizuo wished for a peaceful life. His line of work gave him no problems other than the annoying ass people that kept bitching about how they didn't have any money to pay for their damned debt. He hated the way his reputation caused people to fear him and run away from him. He had a hard life and he very much disliked it.

"It sounds like he's my opposite." She chuckled as Tom smiled.

"Opposites attract don't they?" Tom asked and she laughed.

"If that were really true then you should look for goof, dorky girls and not sluts that give out on the first date knowing that there isn't going to be a second." She said to him bluntly.

"You not exact opposites, your both blunt." He said obviously insulted and yet not sure whether she was complementing him.

"He's blunt in a 'get-to-the-point' kind of way; I'm blunt in a cruel way." She said with a shrug.

"No, _you're_ blunt both ways." He said and she rolled her eyes as she sipped at her tea.

"Why are you so focused on getting us together?" she asked slightly annoyed.

"You haven't dated since high –"

"And for damn good reasons too." She said waving her chop sticks in the air.

"You've both been hurt, and the person that hurt you is the one that Madoka left him for."

SNAP!

Tom flinched at the sound of her breaking the chopsticks in her hand. He would've much rather have Shizuo's anger directed at him than hers. No one crossed her, especially in high school, but high school was over, of course no one dared to say so much as a word about her past even if they were a close friend.

"You're my friend so I'll give you a warning. Do. Not. Talk. About. Orihara. Izaya." She said through gritted teeth, "Do I make myself clear."

"I don't appreciate being talked down to." Tom said since he knew she would cool down in about five seconds, "but point taken."

"Thank you, so what's his opinion of me?" she asked like she hadn't even blown her temper.

"It's hard telling with Shizuo." He said with a shrug, "But he didn't say he didn't like you."

"I guess I'll go out with you guys again then, but can I suggest a date for you?" she asked and Tom raised his brows in slight surprised.

* * *

><p>"Isn't that place, like, the most expensive in the city?" Shizuo asked as he and Tom walked towards the extravagant restaurant.<p>

"Yuka-chan is covering all; apparently she owns this place, as well as many other establishments around Tokyo." Tom answered and then he sighed, "I can't believe she set me up on a blind date."

"Heh, you know pay back is a bitch." Shizuo mumbled.

"What was that?" Tom said honestly not hearing his friend's mumble.

"Noth… ing…" Shizuo said as he walked into the place. It was huge, over the top, and wasn't called 'The City Ocean,' for nothing. The place was made to resemble Tokyo underwater and it did. Every wall was an aquarium one had what looked like a smaller replica of a building and another had steel beams of what was supposed to be an unfinished building. There was a variety of fish but sharks were the main feature to many of them. Shizuo didn't know that a place like this existed in Ikebukuro, other than at Sunshine City.

"Akihayashi-sama is waiting for you two." A busboy said as he bowed to them, "Please follow me."

The two of them followed the boy over to a table where two women sat and at first Shizuo didn't recognize Yuka. He guessed it was because of the lack of a corset and her usual gothic look. She looked like a Japanese princess in a powder pink kimono and her hair pulled back with a cherry blossom pin. She smiled cheerfully as she stood and then bowed to them as did the woman that was with her and then Tom and Shizuo bowed. Shizuo didn't even notice how the other woman had at first gapped in fear and shock that he was coming towards them.

"Tom-kun this is Hamasaki Chieko, she's the woman who runs this establishment for me." She told him and the woman looked suddenly relieved that Tom was the one she was set up with on this date.

"It's nice to meet you, Tanaka-san." Chieko said bowing to him be for they all took their seats.

Yuka did the same thing she always did and just stared off but this time at the fish, Shizuo however was too busy staring at her. He had never noticed how beautiful she was until now with her flawless skin, small nose, large dark blue eyes, lush pink lips, and her striking facial structure. Sure he'd checked her out the last time but he was looking at her body, her red hair had been distracting what her face looked like.

"… eh, Shizuo-kun?" Tom said as he chuckled.

"Huh?" Shizuo mumbled not knowing what Tom had previously said.

"Uh, never mind." He said shaking his head but smiling knowingly at him.

"Are the aquariums distracting you too?" Yuka asked him and he looked over at her and shrugged.

"I told you not to put them in." Chieko said and Yuka smiled over at her.

"They make a good conversation piece though, and we both know there's no denying that, after all they're the reason most people come back." Yuka said bluntly without any emotion in her voice. Chieko obviously took it to heart and swallowed as Tom mentally sighed at Yuka's usual cruelness. It wasn't that she was being cruel really; she was just being her usual self.

"Uh, may I suggest the lobster; it's new on the menu." Chieko said and Tom realized she felt intimidated by Yuka since she was her boss and all.

"Do they serve lobster sushi?" Yuka asked and she nodded, "Hmm."

Tom knew she was just being herself but the poor woman was more terrified of her than she was when she saw Shizuo. When a busboy finally got to their table and they told him what they wanted and Tom saw the noticeable twitch Yuka's eye gave when Chieko ordered otoro. He hoped that this date didn't compromise this woman's job.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Tom felt his blood run cold when he heard that voice, "Yuka-chan I didn't know you came here?"

"Orihara-san what are you doing here?" she said threw clinched teeth. Tom looked over at Shizuo who was trembling in anger but managing to not snap, "I thought I told them not to let rats in here?"

"Oh yes, I always forget you own this place." He said laughing and then he looked over and saw Shizuo, "Well hello Shizu-chan~!"

"Orihara-san I suggest you leave unless you want to find out what it's like to be eaten by sharks." She said and Izaya smirked but turned around and walked away. Shizuo watched as he walked over to Madoka who was watching with worry. Izaya kissed her cheek before taking her hand and leading her out.

"I knew it smelled like shit in here." Both Shizuo and Yuka growled and then looked at each other in surprise. Yuka began to laugh and Shizuo smiled.

"Um, I'm so sorry I didn't know that he was –"

"It's okay Hamasaki-san, the only people that typically know who Orihara Izaya is are those in shady business or those he finds entertaining, and you are obviously neither." Yuka said gently to her, "It's really okay."

"I'll make sure that he isn't –"

"Let him come here, the man spends fortunes on sushi and I'd much rather he spent it here than at other places." She cut her off again with a shrug, "Let's just all pretend like that rat didn't even show up here."

"He sure did turn tail when you threatened him." Tom said and she smiled over at him and he mentally flinched as he realized he once again crossed her.

"Well, it is fun to watch the sharks feed~." She said and then turned to look at said creatures. Shizuo resumed his staring at her again and Tom went back to chatting with Chieko since she seemed like the only person at the table that didn't like to stare mutely.

Eventually Shizuo and Yuka found something to talk about which just so happened to be a Hanejima Yuhei film that was out in the movies. She wasn't a fan but she liked the sound of his new movie. It had a lot of martial arts involved and she and Shizuo could both agree that martial arts were cool. They talked like two teenage boys that were discussing their favorite video games. It was kind of cute really; Yuka and Shizuo chatting about a movie and as Tom listened, they decided they were going to see together. He was happy for his friends, really, and he was also happy to get Chieko's number.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladybug's Ramble: <strong>Okay... I thank those who sent me reviews! If you have anything you want to happen in the stories I do try to add your suggestions~! As you can see Yuka hates Izaya with as much passion as Madoka loves him. Shizuo just noticed Yuka was beautiful hahaha. I hope that Tom isn't OOC but there isn't much info on him and Yuka is kinda cruel. Ladybug out~!


	18. I'm So Sorry

Ladybug's Ramble: Yeah… I know some of you are probably reading this and are like "WTF? This isn't an update." I'm super sorry guys. I've got some bad news, good news and better news. I'm going to start with the good news.

I have a new account on here! The bad news is I've lost every story I wrote on this account. No I am not joking! The better news is I'm going to (maybe?) rewrite these stories I have on here, but they're going to be on my new account. I'm now under the name The Darkness That Follows You. If you're still interested in reading what I've written please go there and put me on your alerts. I'll take the stories down from here when I start to repost them. Also don't review to this, if you have something you'd like to say or ask please PM me on my new account. Ladybug out~!


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